Meghan Markle, Prince Harry & Baby Archie Will Create A Home In The Great White North

After shocking all sides of the pond last week with a bombshell announcement about their future roles within the royal family, one question that seems to be on many people's minds is if Markle and Prince Harry are moving to Canada now. After all, the couple did recently spend a pretty glorious six-week holiday there with their son, Archie Harrison Mountbatten-Windsor, and the Duchess of Sussex has already returned to the Great White North.

It turns out that previous speculation about the couple's Canada plans was actually right on the money. Queen Elizabeth herself confirmed on Monday that the Duke and Duchess of Sussex would indeed be living part of the year in Canada and explained in an official statement that the royal family "is entirely supportive" of their decision to "create a new life as a young family."

"Harry and Meghan have made clear that they do not want to be reliant on public funds in their new lives," the Queen's statement read. "It has therefore been agreed that there will be a period of transition in which the Sussexes will spend time in Canada and the UK."

Even before the Queen's public support had been given, Markle wasted no time heading back to Vancouver Island off the west coast of British Columbia to reunite with 8-month-old Archie. Markle returned to the United Kingdom for just three days at the beginning of January — presumably to be with her husband as they announced their groundbreaking decision to step back as "senior" members of the royal family — before heading back to Vancouver Island where she reportedly left Archie with his nanny so he could avoid jet lag, according to Canadian newspaper, The National Post.

The move to Canada already seems to be just what the doctor ordered for Markle, who previously opened about her damaging struggles with the British media in an interview with Tom Bradby for ITV's documentary, Harry & Meghan: An African Journey. The new mom has apparently been spotted doing very regular mom things like driving herself around the island to run errands at the drug store, as Us Weekly reported.

The couple certainly appeared to enjoy the laid back lifestyle on the Canadian island over their holidays; they were spotted hiking in the mountains and going for runs together, according to CTV News. They even reportedly stopped to help a couple take a selfie on one hike. Perhaps most importantly, they were left to themselves.

Markle, of course, also has a long history with Canada, so this decision isn't entirely shocking. When she was working as an actress on Suits, she lived in Toronto for several years, and clearly made a life for herself there. As for Prince Harry, he is expected to join his wife and child once he has managed to figure out the particulars of the complicated move with the rest of the royal family. The Queen said in her Jan. 13 statement that these "are complex matters" and asked that "final decisions to be reached in the coming days."

As for where exactly in Canada Markle and Prince Harry plan to spend their time, that remains to be seen. Wherever they land, though, hopefully it's what they envisioned for their "new life as a young family."