Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have no plans to return to the UK.
The royal couple, who moved to the US in 2020, have created their dream home in California.
The Prince and the former Suits star purchased the 16-bedroom property, in the exclusive Californian suburb of Montecito, in the middle of the pandemic for $AU21 million.
Since then, royal fans have been desperate to get a peek inside the home. However, the royal couple have mostly kept the property under wraps, with Meghan even filming her Netflix series With Love, Meghan at a nearby rental with a similar vibe.
“I wanted to protect that safe haven,” she told PEOPLE at the time. “We’re a close-knit family, and I love those moments — putting Lili down for a nap, having lunch together, having sacred time together at the end of the day. Our kitchen is where Mama just cooks for the family, and with a crew of 80-plus people, that’s a lot of people to have in your house!”
After news broke that the royals had purchased the American home, photos from the real estate listing were shared online. At the time, the house featured classic wooden beams and large windows, however it’s unclear how much of the house has been renovated in the past five years.
In a 2022 interview with The Cut, 43-year-old Meghan described the property as freeing and calming.
“We did everything we could to get this house,” she told the publication. “Because you walk in and go … Joy. And exhale. And calm. It’s healing. You feel free.”
The property features 16 bedrooms, a library, an office, a gym, a sauna, an arcade and a games room, plus an outdoor pool, a tennis court, a chicken coop and an outdoor entertaining area with a wood-fired stove and barbecue.
The property also features a tea house and a two-bedroom guest house.
Over the Fourth of July weekend, Meghan’s friend Kelly McKee Zajfen shared a photo to Instagram, which showed a glimpse of the mansion from another angle.
“Here’s to freedom, to friendship, and to finding moments of joy wherever we can,” Kelly captioned the post, which showed the arches that separated the inside of the home from the outside area, where they were enjoying a celebratory cocktail.
In a 2021 interview with Oprah Winfrey, Harry spoke about enjoying the outdoors with his family in California.
“To have outdoor space where I can go for walks with Archie, and we go for walks as a family and with the dogs. You know, we go on hikes or go down to the beach, which is so close.”
While talking to PEOPLE magazine earlier this year, Meghan said the family had settled into the neighbourhood and created a community for themselves.
“We hosted a little camp because winter break was long!” she told the publication “We had several days with different families at our home, and we were able to get to know the parents better, and all the kids could play.”
“It’s a dream,” she added. “But I also know that being part of a community means you put effort into it.”
“Once you know us, I think you want us to have the same normalcy as parents and for our children as they do, despite however unique our situation is,” she said.
After a sit down meeting between Meredith Maines, the Duke of Sussex’s chief of staff and communications director, and Liam Maguire, the couple’s UK spokesperson, and the King’s communications secretary, Tobyn Andreae, in early July, speculation was rife that the pair might be looking to move back to the UK.
However, a source has told PEOPLE the meeting was merely an olive branch between the different factions of the royal family.
“It was a good first step,” the source said. “It is always better to be talking.”
Related stories
Native ad body.
Native ad body.
Native ad body.
