Meghan Markle Revealed She and Prince Harry At First Refused to Tour Their $14 Million Montecito Mansion Because They Couldn’t Afford It: ‘It Wasn’t Possible’
Meghan Markle and Prince Harry live in a mansion in Montecito, but the royal couple almost didn’t even tour their current home. Here’s what we know about Harry and Meghan’s Montecito house and how they ended up living there.
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle live in a $14 million mansion in Montecito, California
In January 2020, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle announced that they were stepping back from their royal duties. They planned to split their time between the U.K. and the U.S. while seeking financial independence from the royal family.
During an interview with Oprah Winfrey, Harry said that, although the “U.K. is home,” he had to leave due to a “lack of support and lack of understanding” from his family (per Marie Claire). For years, there have been rumors of a rift between Harry and his brother, Prince William, over the Duke of Cambridge’s treatment of Meghan.
When they first moved to the U.S. in early 2020, Meghan and Harry lived in a fortified compound owned by Tyler Perry, whom they met through Oprah.
Prince Harry and Meghan now live in a $14.65 million estate in Montecito, California. The Mediterranean-style house was built in 2003 and is mostly decorated in shades of beige and off-white (per Dirt). The interior boasts a gym, a library, wet and dry saunas, a game room, an arcade, a home theater, and an elevator.
The detached guest house has two bedrooms and bathrooms. Altogether, the property covers nearly 19,000 square feet and has a total of 9 bedrooms and 16 bathrooms. The grounds include a tennis court, a swimming pool, and an elaborate playset for the royal couple’s children, Archie and Lilibet, to enjoy.
Meghan Markle said she and Prince Harry initially refused to tour their Montecito house because they couldn’t afford it
While looking for a home in the U.S., Prince Harry and Meghan Markle almost didn’t even tour their current Montecito mansion because it was out of their price range.
“We didn’t have jobs, so we just were not going to come and see this house. It wasn’t possible,” Meghan told The Cut. “It’s like when I was younger and you’re window shopping – it’s like, I don’t want to go and look at all the things that I can’t afford. That doesn’t feel good.”
But the Montecito property kept coming up in their online searches, so they eventually agreed to tour it and fell in love with the place. They also scored a reported $25 million Spotify deal and a reported $100 million Netflix deal, making the house affordable for the couple.
The 1 feature that sold the Duke and Duchess of Sussex on their California home
Meghan Markle revealed the feature of the Montecito home that convinced her and Prince Harry to purchase the property.
“One of the first things my husband saw when we walked around the house was those two palm trees,” Meghan told The Cut. “See how they’re connected at the bottom? He goes, ‘My love, it’s us.’ And now every day when Archie goes by us, he says, ‘Hi, Momma. Hi, Papa.’”
Harry and Meghan hadn’t even seen the inside of the house when they told the real-estate agent they wanted to buy the home.
“We did everything we could to get this house,” said Meghan. “Because you walk in and go …” She took a deep breath and exhaled. “Joy. And exhale. And calm. It’s healing. You feel free.”
