• Prince Harry and Duchess Meghan are reportedly enjoying a quieter life abroad since announcing their decision to step away from the royal spotlight last month.
  • According to People magazine, the couple spend their downtime hiking, cooking at home, and playing with their young son and two dogs.

Prince Harry and Duchess Meghan's recent decision to relocate abroad to Canada has reportedly had the couple feeling as if "a weight has been lifted off their shoulders," according to People magazine.

In a cover story detailing the couple's new life no longer under the constraints of royal protocol, People reported that the couple are enjoying more casual charitable engagements, free time hiking together near their Vancouver Island home, and downtime with their nine-month-old son, Archie Mountbatten-Windsor.

"This decision [to leave] had been weighing on them for a long time, and they are relieved to have it done," said a friend close to the couple.

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex have been retaining an extremely low profile since their departure from the royal family. After a nearly two-month-long break from royal duties over the holiday, Meghan only briefly returned to London before heading back to Canada to be with baby Archie. Harry completed a short list of outstanding royal duties in London before rushing back to his family as well. A quieter life in Canada, according to the friend close to the couple, is precisely what the Sussexes want and need.

Prince Harry And Meghan Markle Visit Northern Ireland
Chris Jackson//Getty Images

"They both love to be outside and have been loving it there. When they're not doing yoga or eating in, Harry will pick up sandwiches at a local spot, and Meghan walks her beloved rescue beagle Guy and the couple's adopted Labrador," continued the couple's friend.

"They are enjoying living a quiet life. They go for long walks, they do yoga, and Meghan cooks. They are real homebodies who love to chill out with Archie and the dogs."

Though the couple's decision to step down as senior members of the royal family came at a price—they no longer are allowed to use their HRH titles, and Harry is no longer the youth ambassador for the Commonwealth—they were sacrifices worth making for the couple.

"Harry doesn't care about the titles," said a source close to the couple. "It doesn't interest him; it never has."

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Bianca Betancourt
Culture Editor

Bianca Betancourt is the culture editor at HarpersBAZAAR.com, where she covers all things film, TV, music, and more. When she's not writing, she loves impulsively baking a batch of cookies, re-listening to the same early-2000s pop playlist, and stalking Mariah Carey's Twitter feed.