Prince Harry and Meghan Markle are jetting off to Alberta, Canada for their royal honeymoon after delaying the trip at least a week after the Royal Wedding, TMZ reports.
The news outlet reports that after spending time in the U.K. performing royal duties, the newlyweds will finally enjoy their honeymoon in Alberta’s Fairmont Jasper Park Lodge. They will reportedly be staying at the 6,000-square foot Outlook Cabin, which has a deep history within the royal family and has become known as the “royal retreat.”
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Not only did Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip stay there in June 2005, but King George VI and Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother stayed there in 1939. Even celebrities like John Travolta, Anthony Hopkins and Bill Gates have vacationed there. The famous Marilyn Monroe film River of No Return was shot on location at the resort as well.
The resort has reportedly ordered some special materials for Prince Harry and Markle that it doesn’t normally keep on hand. It’s unclear when the Duke and Duchess of Sussex will arrive, but both British and Canadian security will be involved in the process.
Tucked away in the middle of Jasper Park, the Outlook Cabin is considered a Canadian paradise. The two were previously rumored to be honeymooning in Africa, a continent that is close to both of their hearts. Last year, the couple spent three weeks there for Markle’s birthday, and Harry is passionate about conservation efforts on the continent.
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle delayed their honeymoon in order to spend time performing royal duties in the days that immediately followed the royal wedding on Saturday, May 19, including attending a birthday celebration for Harry’s father, Prince Charles. In their first official engagement as a royal couple, the pair were seen at Buckingham Palace Gardens for the Prince of Wales’ 70th Birthday Patronage Celebration. At the party, Harry gave a speech as Markle, Charles and Camilla Parker Bowles looked on.
The event honored Charles’ patronage, military affiliations and charities, and also paid tribute to first responders of the Manchester Arena bombing of May 2017.
Days after the event, Markle received her official coat of arms.
“A Coat of Arms has been created for The Duchess of Sussex. The design of the Arms was agreed and approved by Her Majesty The Queen and Mr. Thomas Woodcock (Garter King of Arms and Senior Herald in England), who is based at the College of Arms in London,” Kensington Palace said in a statement.
Featuring plenty of nods to Markle’s home state of California, the coat of arms was gifted directly to Markle rather than to her father, which is a break in royal tradition. Kate Middleton’s father, Michael Middleton, received his family’s coat of arms just over one week before Kate’s 2011 wedding.
Markle worked closely with the College of Arms to create a design that was both personal and representative, with the Duchess combining several elements of her character to create a meaningful display.
The shield’s blue background represents the Pacific Ocean off the California coast, while the two golden rays across the shield are symbolic of the state of California. The three quills represent communication and the power of words, something Markle has displayed throughout her time in the spotlight, notably through her activism and her now-shuttered lifestyle blog, The Tig.
As Markle has now received her own coat of arms, she and Harry will next receive their “conjugal coat of arms,” though that is not expected to happen for several years. Prince William and Kate Middleton married in 2011, and their joint coat of arms was revealed in 2013.
