Meghan Markle was spotted at a women's shelter in Canada

Meghan Markle flew to Canada to be with baby Archie Harrison shortly after it was announced on the Sussex Royal Instagram account that she, alongside husband Prince Harry, would be stepping back from royal duties going forward.

The couple spent six weeks on an extended break before Christmas, heading to Canada for the festive period. In their statement explaining their decision to become independent, Harry and Meghan explained that they intend to split their time between the UK and North America while still supporting the Queen. They hope to be financially independent from the institution, and also set up their own charity.

Harry is said to be joining Meghan overseas within the next two weeks. While she has been laying low since the news broke, the Duchess of Sussex has been spotted for the first time, heading to a women's shelter which provides counselling, hot meals, and basic needs for women and children.

According to reports, she made a surprise visit to the Downtown Eastside Women's Centre in Vancouver to 'offer support' and to 'boost the staff's spirits'.

The centre shared a photograph of Meghan and eight women from the centre on their Facebook page, writing: 'Look who we had tea with today!

'The Duchess of Sussex, Meghan Markle, visited us today to discuss issues affecting women in the community.'

One member of staff said of the visit: 'She asked what the women would need in terms of support. It was a nice meeting.'

It is unclear when Meghan will return to the UK, but many royal fans have speculated that she may be moving to Canada with Harry and Archie a lot sooner than originally thought due to the fact that they have already taken their dogs overseas.

Meghan’s rescue dog, Guy, flew out with the Sussexes in November, alongside a female black Labrador believed to be the dog that they adopted together, which has some people convinced that Harry and Meghan will be making the move imminently.