Meghan Markle, 38, and Prince Harry, 35, will head to Africa next week for a 10-day royal tour. The couple will take baby Archie Harrison with them for their first official trip as a family. The Sussexes bid to protect their son’s privacy has prompted speculation they could eventually turn their back on royal life and leave Britain for good.

Meghan and Harry have faced fierce scrutiny in recent months following a string of perceived PR blunders.

While the couple have worked hard to promote their Sussex Royal foundation, they have seemed reluctant to engage in public life at times.

Their decision to keep Archie Harrison’s royal christening private and to keep his godparents a secret prompted backlash after it was revealed they had spent £2.4million of public money doing up their Frogmore Cottage home.

READ MORE: How Meghan Markle and Harry snubbed Zara Tindall with bridesmaid move

The Duke and Duchess were dealt further flack this summer after they took a string of private jets despite campaigning for environmental causes.

Before Meghan returned to work from maternity leave last week she was criticised for her decision to fly to New York to watch pal Serena Williams play in the US final.

The Duchess’s trip came after she rejected an invitation to visit the Queen at Balmoral and was deemed an ill-judged move by critics.

Meghan and Harry’s supporters maintain the couple are a breath of fresh air but there are fears the unrelenting scrutiny they face could push them away from royal life.

Before her tragic death Harry’s mother Princess Diana experienced a similar level of scrutiny and eventually resigned from her royal role.

If Meghan and Harry chose to follow in Diana’s footsteps and ditch royal life there would be nothing to prevent them, one royal commentator has claimed.

Royal expert Richard Fitzwilliams told Express.co.uk: “I think it is worth remembering that Diana’s ‘opt-out’ of public life was followed by her famous walk through a minefield in Angola and would undoubtedly have been followed by more amazing charitable activities.

“She resigned as a patron of the majority of her charities to concentrate on a few. Her future to help others seemed to have no limit save, alas, for the tragedy of her early death.

“Harry is devoted to her memory and he and Meghan are highly unlikely to consider the possibility of ceasing to be royals in the conventional sense.

“There wouldn’t be anything to stop them, the Duchess of Kent, for example, decided to reduce her royal duties, reportedly for health reasons, but it would be bizarre. It is as royals that they have the power to do good on a global scale.”

Mr Fitzwilliams added Meghan and Harry’s global appeal and celebrity connections give them huge power to do good.

He said: “Their fondness for celebrities has become famous, Meghan was one and loves this life, but it is important to remember the good these links can do, such as the Obamas and the Invictus Games and Oprah Winfrey and mental illness. It can only be a matter of time before they travel to the US where they will be lionised.”

Looking forward to their Africa trip Mr Fitzwilliams believes it will be “a huge success.”

He said: “With their trip to South Africa likely to be a huge success, this may well be followed by other trips for longer periods and patronages and positions similar to the Queen’s Commonwealth Trust in the Commonwealth.”

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