T'S late September 2019 and one of the most famous couples in the world have come to our shores. They've brought their baby with them - the little boy we've seen only a fleeting glance of soon after he was born.
The Sussexes are greeted by cheering, dancing crowds, Meghan gives a speech about the empowerment of women, Harry grins and shakes hands.
A cherubic Archie meets a delighted Archbishop Desmond Tutu amid an array of plump cupcakes.
It's royal magic with a capital M and South Africans are smitten. The Meghan and Harry love even lingers in many hearts when the couple fled the royal fold a few months later, courting one controversy after the other.
But after a recent revelation from Meghan on her new podcast, Archetypes, it seems phalanxes of her local fans have flown the coop too - the viral hashtag Voetsek Meghan can attest to that.
"She must just keep SA out of her mouth and everything will be peaceful, one enraged Twitter user tweeted. "She must not try us."
The reason for the anger is Meghan's comment to Serena Williams, her close friend who joins her on the podcast, that there was a fire in the room where little Archie slept at the British consulate-general's residence in Bishopscourt, Cape Town.
South Africans believe she's "lying" and "talking nonsense" and has put SA in a bad light - as if we didn't make adequate provision for the family during their stay.
So is it a case of no smoke without fire? We went in search of answers to the burning question.
NO FIRE was reported to the Cape Town fire services, spokesperson Jermaine Carelse tells YOU - although even if there had been one, there was no obligation to call it in. "Nothing that happens on British property has to be reported,' a source in the department of international relations and cooperation says.
"South Africa has no authority and we can't even arrest someone on the property. They have diplomatic immunity.
This story is from the 15 September 2022 edition of YOU South Africa.
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This story is from the 15 September 2022 edition of YOU South Africa.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
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