The Duke and Duchess of Sussex have stayed in an eight-bedroom waterfront estate on Vancouver Island belonging to a close acquaintance of the husband of Katharine McPhee.

• Jan 4, 2020

AceShowbiz - Music mogul David Foster helped to arrange accommodation for Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, Duchess of Sussex's stay in Canada by connecting them with an old friend.

The hitmaking producer, whose new wife, singer/actress Katharine McPhee, was childhood pals with the former "Suits" star, reveals he put the British royals in touch with a close acquaintance, who offered up his eight-bedroom waterfront estate on Vancouver Island for the couple's low-key vacation.

"I felt honoured that I was able to help Meghan there, because I'm a Canadian and we're a Commonwealth country...," Foster told the Daily Mail on Friday (January 03). "It's important to us, so I grew up with that kind of sentiment. I was really happy to be able to help them to find a respite just to take a little time off."

Although David wouldn't share the name of the friend who owns the estate, he insisted everyone was delighted to introduce the royals, their seven-month-old son Archie, and Meghan's mother Doria Ragland, to the natural wonders of British Columbia.

"The owner has allowed this to happen through me, and I was happy to facilitate," Foster gushed. "I don't know what their (Harry and Meghan's) next plans are, but I know that it was reinvigorating for them to spend some downtime."

The pair certainly took advantage of the picturesque scenery in Vancouver - Prince Harry and Meghan were spotted hiking in the woods with the former actress' "Suits" co-star Abigail Spencer, and they even stopped to help shocked pedestrians take a picture.

"I couldn't believe who it was," one of the hikers, Asymina Kantorowicz, told People.com. "There was Meghan smiling at me, waiting to take the photo and it was just shock at that moment and disbelief."

Asymina added: "The only thing I could think to say to her was, 'There's only so much that selfie sticks can do'. She laughed and said something like, 'We'll have to take a good photo then,' and then Harry said, 'No pressure.'"

"She seemed happy and down to earth - she was just enjoying her New Year's hike with her husband and friend. She and Harry seemed really happy - like a happy newly married couple. I wish baby Archie had been there! I hope they're enjoying their stay on Vancouver Island."