Before marrying Prince Harry, Meghan Markle had celebrated New Year’s Eve with her beloved and beloved in 2017 in Monaco. In the biggest secret of all, the couple celebrated until the end of the night in the company of Albert II and Charlene of Monaco.
After a year marked by the health crisis, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex spent the holiday season in Canada. Exceptionally, the couple had avoided the traditional Christmas gathering of the royal family in Sandringham.
However, this was not the first time they had celebrated New Year’s Eve away from Elizabeth II, Prince Charles, or Prince William and Kate Middleton. Indeed, in December 2017, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle celebrated the New Year on the French Riviera, together with Albert II and Charlene of Monaco.
A source had said: “Harry and Meghan were in a very private and expensive place. Monte Carlo is the party capital at this time of the year and it is said that the British royal couple had a great time”.
The magazine source said that Prince Harry and Meghan Markle had spent lavishly to celebrate the new year. “What is certain is that they were partying like tycoons. Having fun around Monaco is never underestimated and always costs a fortune,” she said.
For its part, Monaco’s royal family was quick to play down the facts. A spokesman had said: “I have no information about this. It must have been private if that was the case, but I am not aware of that”. Although the couple were not yet married, they had wanted to have fun while remaining discreet.
So they arrived on the morning of 31 December 2017 and left for the UK on 2 January 2018. In order to make things go smoothly, the duo was accompanied by three bodyguards.
A stay under high voltage
Although the future bride and groom had come to the south of France to recharge their batteries, their presence in Monaco had required the presence of several members of the Protection Service, the police unit responsible for the security of the VIPs.
According to Kensington Palace, this protection had been offered by France to the couple in order to avoid any overflow. “After what happened to his mother in this country and the issue of terrorism, France would have insisted, even for a private trip like this”, it had been explained.