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Report That Meghan Markle, Prince Harry Moving To Africa 'Speculative': Palace

"No decisions have been taken about future roles."

The world is waiting with baited breath for the arrival of the new royal baby. So, when notifications popped up Monday morning that The Duke and Duchess of Sussex's Instagram account had a new new post, it triggered a brief moment of excitement.

Is baby Sussex here?!

Nope. But rumours are swirling about some other potential big news from the royal couple.

Reports have surfaced claiming Meghan Markle and Prince Harry may move to Africa. The Sunday Times said the expectant parents could take on a role that involves the Commonwealth, charity work and promoting Britain for two to three years.

The Times says that David Manning, the former British ambassador to the US and special adviser on international affairs to Prince Harry, has proposed a plan for the couple to undertake an international position to further their work for the Commonwealth.

Richard Palmer, the royal correspondent for the Daily Express in London, tweeted about the possible move saying that sources suggested that an extended stay in Africa is being discussed.

Buckingham Palace didn't deny or confirm the reports, he said, but issued a statement that was released by Palmer saying: "Any future plans for the Duke and Duchess are speculative at this stage. No decisions have been taken about future roles. The Duke will continue to fulfill his role as Commonwealth Youth Ambassador."

And while the couple's Instagram post included no baby news, it did include several references to and photos of Africa in honour of Earth Day, with info about the endangered African rhino and the fragile Botswana Okavango Delta ecosystem that's under threat from the effects of bush fires.

Today is #earthday - an opportunity to learn about, celebrate and continue to safeguard our planet, our home. The above, Their Royal Highnesses in Rotorua, New Zealand. Of the 170 different species originally planted in the early 1900's, only a handful of species, including these majestic Redwoods, remain today. Next, we invite you to scroll through a series of 9 photos taken by The Duke of Sussex©️DOS sharing his environmental POV including: Africa's Unicorn, the rhino. These magnificent animals have survived ice ages and giant crocodiles, amongst other things! They have adapted to earth's changing climate continually for over 30 million years. Yet here we are in 2019 where their biggest threat is us. A critical ecosystem, Botswana's Okavango Delta sustains millions of people and an abundance of wildlife. Huge bush fires, predominantly started by humans, are altering the entire river system; the ash kills the fish as the flood comes in and the trees that don't burn become next year's kindling. Desert lions are critically endangered due partly to human wildlife conflict, habitat encroachment and climate change. 96% of mammals on our 🌍 are either livestock or humans, meaning only 4% remaining are wild animals. Orca and Humpback whale populations are recovering in Norway thanks to the protection of their fisheries. Proof that fishing sustainably can benefit us all. Roughly 3/4 of Guyana is forested, its forests are highly diverse with 1,263 known species of wildlife and 6,409 species of plants. Many countries continue to try and deforest there for the global demand for timber. We all now know the damage plastics are causing to our oceans. Micro plastics are also ending up in our food source, creating not just environmental problems for our planet but medical problems for ourselves too. When a fenced area passes its carrying capacity for elephants, they start to encroach into farmland causing havoc for communities. Here @AfricanParksNetwork relocated 500 Elephants to another park within Malawi to reduce the pressure on human wildlife conflict and create more dispersed tourism. Every one of us can make a difference, not just today but everyday #earthday

A post shared by The Duke and Duchess of Sussex (@sussexroyal) on

Africa holds a special place in the royal couple's hearts. You might remember that Harry, the romantic, took Meghan to his favourite luxury camp, Meno a Kwena in Botswana, to celebrate Meghan's 36th birthday and mark their first year together in 2017. There were rumours that the couple got engaged on this trip.

And, in their first photos shared to Instagram, there is one of their trip to Botswana in 2017. The photo shows the baseball-capped couple placing a tracking collar on an elephant to enable conservationists to protect him and other elephants from poachers.

The Duke of Sussex attends the 'Our Planet' premiere at the Natural History Museum with The Prince of Wales and The Duke of Cambridge, lending their joint support for the protection of our environment. As president of @africanparksnetwork, The Duke of Sussex continues to advocate for the communities and wildlife that coexist in some of the most vulnerable environments around the world. Be it human wildlife conflict or natural disasters, these communities (park rangers, school children, families) are on the frontline of conservation and we must do more to help them as we also work to safeguard the animals and landscapes that are in critical danger. A few recent photos that look back on: Prince Harry's long time commitment to this cause as well as a glimpse into the work he and The Duchess of Sussex did in 2017. Their Royal Highnesses travelled to Botswana to assist Dr. Mike Chase of Elephants Without Borders in equipping a bull elephant with a satellite collar. Approximately 100 elephants are poached/killed every day for their ivory tusks. Using satellite technology allows conservationists to track their critical migratory patterns and to protect them and the local communities from human wildlife conflict. The elephant pictured was sedated for just 10 minutes before he was up and back with his herd. Tracking his movements has allowed conservationists to better protect him and other elephants and ensure heightened protection for these beautiful creatures moving forward. Credit: Image 1 PA

A post shared by The Duke and Duchess of Sussex (@sussexroyal) on 7:16am PDT

The couple has also posted that, in lieu of gifts for their baby, they prefer donations be made to charities they support, including a number that support programs in Africa.

So while the continental move is speculative, the Sussexes' connection to countries in Africa is undisputed. And and after all that, we're still waiting for the royal baby!

It's really anyone's guess, since the couple has decided to keep details of the baby's birth private. So, with any new update, Insta or otherwise, the couple continues to birth excitement ahead of the big baby news.

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