The Scary Reason Prince Harry and Meghan Markle Are Looking for a New House Outside Montecito
After Prince Harry and Meghan Markle stepped down from their royal duties in 2020, they moved to America. The pair initially rented a waterfront property on Vancouver Island before relocating to Meghan’s hometown of Los Angeles. There, they stayed at Tyler Perry’s Beverly Hills estate before settling in Santa Barbara Country where they purchased their “Chateau” mansion in Montecito.
Now, there are reports that the Duke and Duchess of Sussex are once again on the move but they may be leaving their current residence because they feel like they have no other choice. Here’s more on where the Duke and Duchess of Sussex are looking to buy a new property and why.
Where Meghan and Harry have been house hunting
According to multiple reports, Meghan and Harry have been looking to buy or recently purchased a new home in Hope Ranch which is also located in Santa Barbara County and about a 20-minute drive from Montecito.
The private, gated community has a members-only country club and golf club, access to tennis courts, picnic grounds, and over 25 miles of equestrian trails.
The Santa Barbara News-Press reported that the couple had been hunting for a new place because the property they have no longer “properly accommodate[s]” them. But there may actually be another reason Harry and Meghan want to relocate.
Concerning reason they reportedly want to leave Montecito
The Sussexes’ mansion where they have lived since June 2020 is nicknamed “The Chateau.” It’s 18,000 square feet and sits on more than five acres of land. The home has 16 bathrooms, nine bedrooms plus a separate guest house with two more bedrooms and bathrooms. There’s also a library, a sauna, a wine cellar, a game room, a gym, tennis courts, and an arcade. The property boasts both ocean and mountain views as well.
Because 18,000 square feet seems like more than enough space to accommodate the couple and their two children, Archie and Lilibet, it’s believed there is another reason the duke and duchess are moving.
The reason Meghan and Harry may really want out of Montecito is for their safety as their neighborhood has been targeted by “sophisticated out-of-the-area theft gangs specializing in high-value property crime,” according to The Sun. And Santa Barbara Police records show that the prince and former Suits star’s “Chateau” was subject to trespassers twice in 12 days on May 19 and again on May 31.
The Sussexes also still maintain a home in the U.K.
Despite living in California full time, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex still have a home in England.
They have kept their Frogmore Cottage located in Windsor. In fact, that’s where they stayed when they were in the U.K. for Queen Elizabeth II’s Platinum Jubilee as well as her state funeral three months later.
