Britain's Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, the Duchess of Sussex attend the 91st Field of Remembrance at Westminster Abbey in London on Thursday. The event has been held in the Abbey grounds to honor Britain's war dead since 1928. Photo: IC

A Canadian coffee chain that offered disenchanted British royals Prince Harry and his wife Meghan free coffee for life if they move to Canada has faced an online backlash.

The response came after Tim Hortons - synonymous with coffee in Canada - posted a tongue-in-cheek tweet on Wednesday saying: "No pressure, Meghan and Harry, but if you do choose to move to Canada, free coffee for life."

The offer proved hard to swallow for Canadians upset by the chain's labor relations practices. Canadian media reported that a branch of Tim Hortons in Winnipeg locked out unionized workers who were asking for a pay rise. 

In a shock announcement on Wednesday, Harry and Meghan said they will step back as senior members of the royal family and spend more time in North America, where Meghan lived for several years while filming the television series Suits. One Twitter user observed that the royals "can afford to buy the company. Your employees can't afford the rent."