When the Duke and Duchess of Sussex left the UK for an extended break in Canada almost one year ago, few could have predicted just how much their world – and ours – was about to change.
In January, they announced their decision to step back as senior working royals, returning to Canada and then moving to California, where they have now finally settled into their "forever home" – an expansive mansion set in 5.4 acres of land in the exclusive coastal enclave of Montecito.
And despite the pressures of a global pandemic, Prince Harry and Meghan have been enjoying the opportunity to spend plenty of time with son Archie, now 17 months.
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WATCH: Meghan on spending quality time as a family
"They are now in their own family home, which they haven't had properly before," a source tells HELLO! "It's theirs, it's their forever home, where they are going to base themselves.
"Archie is moving about and is lively and they're having a great time."
As the couple co-hosted a special TIME100 talk online last week, Meghan shared how the couple are treasuring precious family moments, saying: "For us, we're trying to embrace all of the quality time we get with our son right now and to not miss a single moment of his growth and development, which has been really special."
"There’s a lot of stuff to be focused on, a lot of work," added Harry. "But, as Meghan quite rightly said, this is an opportunity to spend more time as a family that we probably would otherwise."
Harry and Meghan's new website for Archewell
While their public appearances have mostly been virtual because of the COVID-19 crisis, the couple have continued to make strides in their work, launching a website last week for their new philanthropic organisation Archewell.
It was registered in March, replacing their Sussex Royal Foundation, which was wound down when the Queen decided they should not use the word royal in their branding following their departure from the UK.
A low-key landing page for their new website lays out the dictionary definitions of the words that make up Archewell, reflecting the couple's famously hands on approach. It reads: "Arche…Greek word meaning 'source of action'. Well… a plentiful source or supply; a place we go to dig deep."
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Harry and Meghan carried out their final royal duties in March
The Duke and Duchess have also kept up a steady stream of on-screen appearances in recent weeks to highlight the issues their organisation will focus on, including gender equity, racial justice and fostering healthier online communities.
Archewell has been up and running without fanfare for several months and although it currently has just two full time employees, the team is set to grow in the coming months.
In the meantime, the couple are doing a great deal of the work themselves, with support from US publicists Sunshine Sachs and Meghan's longtime advisers, the Hollywood lawyer Rick Genow and business manager Andrew Meyer.
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They are also making plans to produce content for streaming giant Netflix, after signing a lucrative multi-year deal with the service in September, three months after they signed to the A-list speakers' agency Harry Walker.
Harry and Meghan are nevertheless also keeping in close contact with their UK patronages and this week will see the Duchess in action on behalf of the animal welfare charity The Mayhew.
Read more in this week's issue of HELLO! magazine on sale now.
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