Biggest Threat to Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s New Mansion Has Nothing to Do With Intrusive Paparazzi
Meghan, Duchess of Sussex and Prince Harry officially stepped down from royal duties in March and moved to California.
They lived at actor and producer Tyler Perry’s Beverly Hills mansion for some time before buying their own home in Santa Barbara. But their new property could pose a threat the couple likely never considered.
The Sussexes felt they were under siege when they were in LA
When Meghan and Harry were staying at Perry’s home they didn’t get the privacy they had hoped for.
The Beverly Ridge Estate sits atop a hill so when the trails and parks nearby reopened after lockdown restrictions in the state were relaxed, hikers and locals walking their dogs up the hilltop could see into the property.
The prince and former Suits star also spotted drones flying above the mansion, some coming within 20 feet of the house, a number of times. A friend of the Sussexes told The Daily Beast that the pair also experienced aggressive tactics by photographers whenever they left the home and were chased on a highway.
But the biggest threat at their new house isn’t the intrusive paparazzi.
Inside Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s Santa Barbara mansion
Meghan and Harry left Perry’s estate for new digs in Santa Barbara.
According to Forbes, the Sussexes purchased the Chateau of Riven Rock mansion from Russian businessman Sergey Grishin for $14.7 million. The home is 19,000 square feet with nine bedrooms and 16 bathrooms. It also has a guest house, a tea house, a children’s playset, a tennis court, and a swimming pool.
“They have settled into the quiet privacy of their community since their arrival and hope that this will be respected for their neighbors, as well as for them as a family,” a spokesperson for the duke and duchess told Hello! magazine.
Threat at their new home
The Santa Barbara property may offer more privacy than the Beverly Hills estate but some residents in the region want to warn the couple of other threats such as earthquakes and wildfires.
The Express noted that the Sussexes’ mansion is located in the heart of California’s earthquake country. While the city of Santa Barbara hasn’t had a major quake in decades experts believe the area is due for one as it’s near the San Luis Fault range and the Hosgri Fault, which are components of the San Andreas Fault system.
The wildfires are another big threat as cola bottling heir Alki David explained. The notorious billionaire, who lives just over an hour from Meghan and Harry in Malibu, believes the infernos pose a constant threat to residents.
“I love Harry and Meghan and it is only fair they should know about the risks in Montecito,” David said. “It is hard for someone from England to understand the sheer terror of fires that size. I fear the royals are sleepwalking into a firetrap.”
In 2019, the wildfires forced more than 6,000 Santa Barbara residents to flee their homes.
