Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s Secret UK Hideout in Billionaire’s Estate Exposed After a ‘Terrifying’ Flight Scare
Billionaire Ian Wace is reportedly letting Prince Harry and Meghan Markle stay at his English country estate at Rowler Manor in Northamptonshire. The couple reportedly became close to the hedge fund founder after a lightning strike hit his private jet in 2018.
According to RadarOnline, Tom Sykes shared on The Royalist that the frightening flight to Amsterdam helped bring the group closer. The Sussexes reportedly boarded Wace’s Dassault Falcon 7X in September 2018. Wace’s then-wife, model Saffron Aldridge, joined them on the trip as well.
The group was heading to the opening of a new Soho House location. The event also celebrated founder Nick Jones’ 55th birthday. Several celebrities attended the party. However, the flight reportedly took a turn when lightning struck the aircraft’s nose cone.
According to The Mail, the jet landed safely at Amsterdam’s Schiphol Airport. The aircraft was then grounded for repairs and safety checks. It reportedly remained grounded for nine days. Photographs reportedly showed a new white nose cone fitted to the jet.
The group later returned to England on another aircraft. Sykes said, “It was a terrifying incident. Apparently, the plane wasn’t damaged, but it freaked everybody out, and they became firm and fast friends ever since.”
However, reports from 2018 did describe repairs to the aircraft, including a replacement nose cone. Wace co-founded hedge fund Marshall Wace with Paul Marshall in 1997. Sykes described him as “a friend of the King” who has “contributed to his causes,” referring to King Charles.
He didn’t name the causes Wace supported, though. Sykes also said Harry and Markle spent time in the Cotswolds after their May 2018 wedding. Their visits reportedly included Soho Farmhouse, where they may have gotten to know Wace.
The journalist believes Wace’s 700-plus-acre estate could be where the Sussexes are staying. He pointed to Markle’s Instagram video from October 11 and a September 13 post showing Harry fishing with their children, Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet.
In the October 11 video, Archie rode his scooter along a shady path, with Lilibet following behind. A few deer could be seen in the distance. Their black Labrador, Pula, was there, too, stopping to sniff around the grass. Meanwhile, the September 13 video gave a peek into the family’s time outdoors.
Markle and Harry walked hand in hand along a country path. Markle then turned toward the camera and said, “Come on, you, come on.” She was also seen splashing through a muddy puddle in her wellies. Lilibet rode her bike with training wheels and a doll attached to the back.
Archie ran alongside her, shouting, “Go! Go!” Wham!’s Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go played in the background. Later, Harry took the kids out fishing in a small boat. Their dog was also there. Sykes claimed the images show landmarks matching the property, including a bridge beside a trout pond.
He also referred to aerial and satellite images of the estate. “The estate is visible from space. I mean, these are very obvious landmarks,” Sykes said. He added, “It’s just ridiculous for me to not be naming it when they are doing everything possible to identify it.”
