Meghan Markle & Prince Harry Just Made a Surprise Visit to…California?

This week, Meghan Markle returned to her native California with Prince Harry by her side.

As much as this Los Angelino would like to say it’s because they’re picking up and moving to California officially, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex actually were here on business. The couple visited Stanford University in Palo Alto on Tuesday to attend a brainstorming session among professors, academics and, apparently, royals.

According to Today, the meeting was aimed at helping them sort out their new charitable organization and nail down ways they can be most impactful with their humanitarian work. As you may remember, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex announced their new foundation in January simultaneously with their decision to shed their official royal duties.

The couple reportedly flew commercial (how were they not inundated by fans?) from their new temporary home on Vancouver Island and were greeted by university president Marc Tessier-Lavigne upon their arrival at Stanford.

Education has been one of the pillars of Markle’s charity work since before her royal days. A graduate of Northwestern University, Markle selected the ACU (which fosters higher education across the British Commonwealth) as one of her patronages and has spoken repeatedly about how access to education is imperative.

During her and Prince Harry’s tour of Oceania in October of 2018, she even gave a speech about her experience in college. “As a university graduate, I know the personal feeling of pride and excitement that comes with attending university,” she said.  “From the moment you receive your acceptance letter to the exams you spend countless late nights studying for, the lifelong friendships you make with your fellow alumni to the moment that you receive your diploma, the journey of higher education is an incredible, impactful and pivotal one. I am also fully aware of the challenges of being able to afford this level of schooling for many people around the world, myself included.”

Oh, to be a fly on that Stanford wall.