Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's plans for their long, six-week break before their royal exit were kept under wraps so that not even their nanny knew about it, a royal author has claimed. The Duke and Duchess of Sussex spent some time in Canada in the autumn of 2019 before returning to the UK and announcing their bombshell departure in early 2020.

At the time, the Sussexes shared a post which read: "Wishing you a very happy Thanksgiving from our family to yours."

Although their location had not been disclosed to the media or the public at the time, the maple leaf emoji that accompanied their Thanksgiving message could have been a major pointer in hindsight.

It was also reported that their son, Archie, would be spending time with the Duchess's mother, Doria Ragland.

Archie did not return to Britain until 2022 for the late Queen's Platinum Jubilee celebrations. The couple came back on their own in January 2020, with Meghan leaving a few days later to look after him.

Meanwhile, in November 2019, Buckingham Palace still did not disclose their location but said the couple would not be spending time with the Royal Family at Sandringham for Christmas.

It was the first step, fueling speculation about a possible royal rift before Harry and Meghan's bombshell a few weeks later.

Journalist Valentine Low wrote extensively about the secrecy surrounding Harry and Meghan's whereabouts in the weeks leading to Megxit in his book Courters.

He wrote as per the Mail: "When Harry and Meghan went to Canada for their six-week break in November 2019, their escape was planned with the greatest secrecy.

"When the trip was announced - it was supposed to be 'family time' according to the Palace, and definitely should not be seen as a holiday - Meghan was so concerned that news of their destination would leak that the couple would not even tell their nanny, Lorren, where they were going.

"'What sort of weather should I pack for?' she asked. According to one source, she did not know where they were going until the plane - a private jet, not Air Canada, as claimed by [the book] Finding Freedom - was in the air.

"Meanwhile, staff had been growing increasingly suspicious about the couple's long-term intentions."

He added that staff were already suspecting Harry and Meghan could go and live in America until Meghan confided in one of her staff members that they would not be coming back.

The author wrote: "The fact that they had taken all their personal belongings with them to Canada, and their two dogs, seemed quite a big hint.

"However, nothing was confirmed until Meghan confided towards the end of the year in a member of her personal staff that they were not coming back.

"The rest of the team did not find out until the couple held a meeting at Buckingham Palace at the beginning of January. They found it hard to accept they were being dumped like that. Some were in tears."

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex announced they would step down as senior working royals on January 8, 2020.

A few days later, on January 13, the royals gathered at Sandringham to discuss the matter in what's been dubbed the "Sandringham Summit", spearheaded by the late Queen Elizabeth II.

The "summit" involved the late monarch, King Charles, Prince William and Prince Harry - however, his wife Meghan, did not attend.

At the time, the Sussexes reportedly claimed it wasn't "necessary for the duchess to join".

Following the "summit", Queen Elizabeth released a statement which said: "Today my family had very constructive discussions on the future of my grandson and his family.

"My family and I are entirely supportive of Harry and Meghan's desire to create a new life as a young family.

"Although we would have preferred them to remain full-time working members of the Royal Family, we respect and understand their wish to live a more independent life as a family while remaining a valued part of my family."