Meghan reveals why quitting royal family is the best thing for Harry

Meghan's friends have reportedly said the ex-Duchess is happy she no longer has to watch Harry's spirit being "crushed" by the royal family. Photo / AP

Meghan Markle has been telling her close friends that quitting the royal family is the best thing that could ever happen to Prince Harry and said "it was her love for him that made this possible," a friend exclusively told DailyMail.com.

"She said that like her, his spirit was being crushed and she simply couldn't stand to see him suffer anymore," the friend added.

The Duke of Sussex was photographed grinning as he stepped off a plane in Vancouver late on Monday night, heading back to his wife and eight-month-old son Archie. Meghan herself was seen beaming while out for a walk with Archie and her two dogs on Monday morning.

The couple have been staying at an opulent $14 million Vancouver Island mansion, which they have used since Thanksgiving, and the close friend revealed the two have no plans to move out anytime soon.

Meghan and Harry also have no intention of stripping the word "royal" from their SussexRoyal website, as the insider added: "Meghan says they will always be considered royalty regardless of where they live or what they do."

Over the weekend, it was dramatically announced that Harry and Meghan will no longer use their HRH titles and will repay around $3 million [£2.4 million] of taxpayers' money spent refurbishing their Frogmore Cottage.

It's said that Meghan will still consider herself and Harry royal, whatever they say or do. Photo / AP

Still, a number of unresolved issues remain, including whether Harry and Meghan will be required to strip the word "Royal" from their SussexRoyal website, and who will pick up the hefty bill for their continuing security requirements.

However, Meghan's friend told DailyMail.com: "Meghan and Harry are not planning on changing their website or Instagram name. They are still considered the Duke and Duchess of Sussex. And they will keep the Royal part in.

"She described herself and Harry as game changers destined to hack the status quo. And now they can finally go about their business."

The friend added: "Meghan has been telling her close friends that this is the best thing that could ever happen to Harry.

"That out of anyone he will flourish the most and that it was her love for him that made this possible."

The insider also revealed that "Meghan told her friends that there is no rush to move out of the place they've been staying. That they're welcome to live there as like as they like.

"Meghan calls it her happy place and says that in the last couple of months, she's felt more at home than she ever did in the UK."

As part of their agreement with the Queen, Meghan and Harry will cease to be working members of the royal family from this spring and will not perform any official duties on behalf of the Queen – effectively leaving "The Firm" completely.

The move will see Harry drop all of his official military positions and the couple will also spend the majority of their time in North America.

Prince Charles will continue to "offer private financial support" and, crucially, the couple will have free rein to negotiate lucrative commercial deals that experts believe could net them millions, although they have pledged "to uphold the values of Her Majesty".

The Queen, who took control of the crisis that threatened to permanently damage the monarchy, praised Meghan for swiftly becoming a part of the family and thanked the couple for the work they had done, saying she was pleased they had found a constructive way to move forward.

Last week, DailyMail.com revealed that Meghan feels she can now do what she pleases without asking for permission after her decision to quit as a senior royal.

A close friend explained that Meghan felt that living within the royal family confines was "soul crushing" and she didn't want Archie around such a "toxic environment", deciding to leave in part for his benefit.

They said the 38-year-old feels she can "finally breathe" since leaving and has free reign over her life again.

Meghan called Canada her "happy place" and said she's happier there than she's ever been in the UK. Photo / AP

The friend said: "She told her inner circle of friends that her soul was being crushed and that the decision to leave was a matter of life or death - meaning the death of her spirit.

"She also felt like she couldn't be the best mother to Archie if she wasn't being her true, authentic self. Something she felt she couldn't be in the royal family confines.

"She said she didn't want Archie picking up on her stress and anxiety. She felt like it was a toxic environment for him because there was too much tension and pent-up frustrations."

The friend said Meghan "has a lot up her sleeve that she wants to do."

Meghan "will continue making surprise visits to different places that help women and children. She wants to feel embraced by her community, something she says she didn't feel in the UK. She felt stifled and restricted."

The Duchess was visibly enjoying walking in picturesque Horth Hill Park on Monday during her stay on Vancouver Island.

She was wrangling her black Labrador Oz and beagle Guy while appearing to struggle to keep Archie in her baby carrier with one of the straps slipping off her shoulder.

She and Harry took a hike there on New Year's Day, before he flew back to London to sort out the details of their split from the Royal Family.

On the previous visit, Harry and Meghan shocked local couple Iliya Pavlovic and Asymina Kantorowicz who were taking selfies when the soon-to-be-ex-royals walked past and offered to snap pictures of the couple, according to CTV News.

'I froze up, I actually couldn't believe who it was,' Kantorowicz said. 'I kept looking back and forth like, 'Is this actually happening?'

Kantorowicz, who lives some 15 miles away in Victoria, British Columbia, said Meghan handed her phone back and wished her a Happy New Year and the two couples went on their way. Harry and Meghan were with their dogs and her former Suits co-star Abigail Spencer.

Harry and Meghan now have to decide in which part of Canada they are to make their future. It is understood he would like to stay on the west coast around Vancouver while she would prefer Toronto where she lived while she was filming Suits.