Meghan Markle and Prince Harry relocated from Canada to Meghan's hometown Los Angeles

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have left Canada amid the coronavirus pandemic and have moved permanently to California.

They took a private flight to the Los Angeles area before the borders between Canada and the US were shut, The Sun UK reports.

The Sussexes will set up a new home close to Hollywood, where they are currently living in lockdown with their ten-month-old son Archie.

A royal insider told the publication: “Harry and Meghan have left Canada now for good. The borders were closing and flights were stopping. They had to get out.

“But this move was planned for some time. They realised Canada would not work out for various reasons and they want to be based in the Los Angeles area.

“They have a big support network there. It’s where their new team of Hollywood agents and PRs and business managers are based. Meghan has lots of friends there and, of course, her mum Doria.

The bombshell move — dubbed Megxit 2 — has reportedly “stunned and horrified” members of the Royal Family who believed that Prince Harry and Meghan Markle would consider returning to Britain to help their relatives after Prince Harry’s father, Prince Charles tested positive for COVID-19.

This came as US entertainment giant Disney pushed ahead with the release of a charity film about elephants, for which Meghan provides the voiceover.

The deal is believed to have been done after Harry cornered the company’s boss Bob Iger at the premiere of The Lion King in London last year.

The royal insider said the arrangement is another indication of where the couple see their priorities going forward.

The royal insider explained: “For Meghan, this type of work is going to be coming out of Hollywood going forward.

“She feels comfortable there around her people and has projects already planned like her children’s book.”

Royal courtiers believe the decision to move full-time to the US makes a mockery of the couple’s earlier pledge that they chose Canada because they wanted to live in a Commonwealth country.

One said: “We are stunned and horrified. The country is going through a traumatic event at the moment. They have a beautiful cottage in Windsor where they could have based themselves.

“It’s just a stone’s throw away from where the Queen and Prince Philip are in self-isolation.

“Prince Charles and Prince Andrew are both out of action too for very different reasons.

“This was an opportunity for them to put country before their own interests. California isn’t going anywhere.”