Meghan Markle, the Duchess of Sussex, has made her first public appearance since she and Prince Harry decided to step back from their roles with the royal family, CNN reports.
What happened: Markle appeared at a women’s center in Vancouver, Canada, where she posed for photos with the staff at the Downtown Eastside Women’s Centre.
- The center said on its Facebook page: “Look who we had tea with today! The Duchess of Sussex, Meghan Markle, visited us today to discuss issues affecting women in the community.”
- The visit is the first confirmation that Markle is in Canada after much speculation.
Why: Markle has been in Canada with her son Archie. She’s been located there as the royal family works to figure out what to do with their ongoing crisis, according to CNN.
Canada: Per E! News, Markle has been spending a lot of time in Canada, living inside an expensive mansion. Markle and Harry were told to stay in that mansion over the holidays.
- Markle has spent time getting outside despite living at the mansion. She has reportedly been driving a Range Rover, according to E! News.
- Security has been with her the entire time.
- Markle reportedly visited an airport to pick up her mother, too, according to E! News.
Why Canada: Living in Canada has financial benefits for the couple, according to MarketWatch. The move will keep the couple free from having to deal with U.S. tax laws.
- Per MarketWatch:
“The U.S., almost uniquely among countries, taxes citizens and other “U.S. persons” worldwide, even if they move abroad and never return. If Harry became a resident in the U.S., he would become subject to U.S. tax law, potentially raising a situation in which the Internal Revenue Service started sending notices to Buckingham Palace demanding that British royal trusts file accounts and pay U.S. taxes.
“Meghan and Harry may have a lot of taxable income, as they could be hoping to follow in the footsteps of Oprah Winfrey, Martha Stewart and the Kardashians. Martha Stewart sold her branded goods company for $350 million in 2015, though she was once reportedly worth more than $1 billion. More recently, Kylie Jenner has launched a cosmetics business that has reportedly already made her a billionaire.”