Harry and Meghan will drive hard bargain as they plan celebrity route to riches

, and  Prince Harry is hoping to be reunited with his wife and son in Canada with a clear resolution to their current crisis. But although he and Meghan are desperate to get on with their new lives, they are prepared to thrash it out for as long as it takes to get the best possible result for themselves.

The couple will not sign off on a deal they are even mildly unsure about, even if it means an extended period of time apart, aides suggested yesterday.

They left their eight-month-old son, Archie, in the care of a nanny when they returned to London from Canada on Monday after a six-week sabbatical.

However, Buckingham Palace sources confirmed the Duchess of Sussex (38) had only ever planned a brief stopover in the UK. She is understood to have taken a BA flight back to a gated waterfront mansion on Vancouver Island on Thursday.

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With no return flight booked and no official UK engagements in the diary, she could remain in Canada for the foreseeable future.

The duke, meanwhile, is at home and determined to secure his family a «progressive new role» in the mould they decreed in the bombshell statement released on Wednesday.

The 35-year-old is heavily involved in the negotiations being thrashed out behind palace walls, as are all senior members of his team.

Royal insiders suggested talks could be far more protracted than others claimed.

«This is their future and their lives,» one source said. «It’s not just going to be quickly signed off.»

As the royal households went into lockdown, under clear orders from the queen to get the job done, the celebrity world waiting to welcome the couple into its arms went into overdrive.

PR experts have predicted they could earn millions on the international circuit, cashing in on their brand with guest appearances, lucrative sponsorship deals and endorsements.

Six-figure bids have already been made for the first interview.

It is understood ITV’s ‘This Morning’ has submitted a bid for £100,000 (€117,400), although an insider said: «It’s just a starting figure.»

Gayle King (65), the CBS anchor and a close friend of Meghan’s, is favourite to clinch an interview.

Ms King attended Meghan’s New York baby shower and visited the couple at Frogmore Cottage in Windsor after the birth of Archie.

A television source told the ‘New York Post’: «It’s hush hush, but there’s no one else they would turn to.»

Meanwhile, there is talk of a collaboration with US chat show star Oprah Winfrey.

The 65-year-old is said to have been advising them and has confirmed she fully supports their decision to go it alone. A source said: «The route they are likely to take is along the lines of an executive producer on an Oprah documentary series.»

Winfrey owns Harpo Productions, which made ‘Finding Sarah’, charting Prince Andrews’ ex-wife Sarah Ferguson’s «journey of self discovery» after she hit rock bottom in 2011.

While royal sources have all but confirmed the pair will largely base themselves in Canada, it is not clear whether they intend to remain in British Columbia, move to Toronto, where Meghan lived for seven years while filming television drama ‘Suits’, or choose somewhere new.

Former senior Scotland Yard officers have suggested the couple will most likely have to contribute to the costs of their security if they pursue a lucrative private career. A-listers set to play key roles in their new power base include Michelle and Barack Obama, George and Amal Clooney, Serena Williams and designer Misha Nonoo.

Reports suggest Harry could follow a similar path to Mr Obama, focusing on philanthropy, speeches, book deals and documentaries.