Entertainment
Prince Harry Just Shut Down One Of Many Rumors About His Honeymoon With Meghan Markle
It's been over a month since the Duke and Duchess of Sussex said, "I will," but the exact location of their honeymoon has remained in the dark. Well, according to People, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle didn't honeymoon in Namibia. During a Tuesday party honoring 61 recipients of the Queen's Young Leaders award, People reported that Mavis Elias, a philanthropist from Namibia, spoke to Harry about his location and he admitted an important detail about their romantic getaway.
After Elias asked Harry if the royal couple traveled to the African country like many speculated, she said he told her, "No, we didn’t go to Namibia." Finally. After all this time, there is confirmation about at least one honeymoon location. That said, the 33-year-old prince chose to keep mum on the location they selected. Elias told People Harry said, "I’m not going to say where..."
Of course not, that would be way too easy, which means the honeymoon mystery continues. Who knows if they'll ever say where they honeymooned, but, right now, it seems like it's one secret they want to keep, well, secret. So if they didn't go to Namibia, where could they have visited? In early June, reports circulated Harry and Markle were in Ireland, which some quickly assumed was for their honeymoon.
On June 7, The Daily Beast reported they were staying at Ashford Castle, "one of the country's most luxurious country-house hotels." The publication reported locals were noticing a supposed security lockdown in the area. This rumored information led many people to believe Harry and Markle were honeymooning at Ashford Castle.
There were also people tweeting about Ashford Castle around the same time, as pointed out by the Daily Express. One person tweeted on June 6, "The first time I go to Ashford Castle and we couldn’t get into the castle or around it because the ROYALS are within." Another user posted that same day, "Harry and Meghan are rumoured to be at Ashford Castle in Mayo, Ireland! I have family living near the castle and they’ve told me that security is tight with the castle and grounds closed to all, which is unusual."
The Irish Independent reported in March Harry and Markle would probably take a "mini-moon" in Ireland, but they would also take an "official honeymoon" at some other time. A source told the publication, "It will possibly be the first foreign trip after their wedding."
In addition to Ireland, TMZ reported at the end of May Markle and Harry were heading to Canada for their honeymoon. The outlet claimed they might stay in Alberta's Fairmont Jasper Park Lodge. However, the lodge denied TMZ's report to the Huffington Post in late May.
"They are 100 percent rumors. They are not booked to stay with us," Angela Moore, Regional Director, Public Relations, Fairmont Hotels and Resorts, Canada's Western Mountain Region said. Moore even denied to Huffington Post that the couple didn't make reservations under different names. Moore later added, "Though Fairmont Jasper Park Lodge has a longstanding history of serving as a royal retreat, we can confirm that the couple is not currently booked for a stay. We are declining further comment at this time, as our top priority is always the safety and privacy of all of our guests."
Who knows where they went, but according to royal expert Omid Scobie, it's common for the honeymoon location to change multiple times during the planning stages. "The honeymoon destination has changed a few times since they started planning," Scobie told ELLE.com on May 24. "If a location leaks prior to travel, it compromises their safety on the trip, and they’ll be advised by their protection team to change plans."
Maybe Markle and Harry ended up in Canada or Ireland or somewhere completely different. It would be really sweet if they honeymooned in Botswana, since they traveled there early in their relationship. Whatever the location, let's hope they had a romantic and relaxing time away from the spotlight.