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Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have made it no secret over the years that when the royal family has something big to announce or an important event going on, the Sussexes will try to take away the spotlight with their own news.

Whether it was announcing their bombshell decision to step down as working royals mere hours before the Princess of Wales’ (formerly known as Kate Middleton) birthday in 2020 or Meghan choosing to release dog biscuits and jam from her lifestyle brand during the U.K.’s annual Trooping the Colour celebrations (which was also Kate’s first public appearance since announcing her cancer diagnosis), it always seems to happen.

Now, a royal author and commentator says the duke and duchess are up to their “old tricks” again while acknowledging that what they’re doing is going to help out another family member.

What Prince Harry and Meghan did to rival King Charles

King Charles III and Queen Camilla smile during a visit to a beach in Apia, Samoa
King Charles III and Queen Camilla smile during a visit to a beach in Apia, Samoa during the South Pacific tour | Chris Jackson/Getty Images

In mid-October, Prince Harry and Meghan made global headlines when a story broke that they had purchased a second home in Portugal. The headlines about this emerged just before King Charles and Queen Camilla (formerly Camilla Parker Bowles) began their all-important royal tour to Australia and Somoa.

So while the Palace was hoping all the talk would be about the monarch’s tour to the South Pacific, stories were lingering about Meghan and Harry’s major purchase in Europe.

Royal author and socialite Lady Colin Campbell described the timing of the purchase as “convenient” as even more news about it was revealed while the king and queen were on their royal tour. Campbell explained at the time: “Charles and Camilla are in Australia and Samoa and we are speaking about Harry and Meghan and Portugal. They are geniuses.”

Their move could help out a princess and her husband

Princess Eugenie and Jack Brooksbank attend Day 2 of the Cheltenham Festival at Cheltenham Racecourse
Princess Eugenie and Jack Brooksbank attend Day 2 of the Cheltenham Festival at Cheltenham Racecourse | Max Mumby/Indigo/Getty Images

According to multiple reports, Harry and Meghan purchased a home in Portugal not too far from the duke’s cousin, Princess Eugenie, and Jack Brooksbank as they live there six months out of the year for Brooksbank’s job. The princess’s husband works in marketing, sales, and promotion for the CostaTerra Golf and Ocean Club.

Lady Campbell opined that with their move, the Sussexes are garnering plenty of publicity for the resort.

Speaking on Dan Wootton’s YouTube channel, the commentator said: “It’s the oldest trick in the book. Colin Tenant very successfully gave Princess Margaret land on Mustique and then actually built her a house, and that helped to make Mustique into what it became. This is a version of this. To help out Jack and Eugenie and get them some publicity.”

The former working royals reportedly bought a property about an hour’s drive south of Lisbon on Portugal’s west coast, between Comporta and Melides. The area has recently become a popular holiday destination for the rich and famous.

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