Sussexes ‘already have a house lined up to live in… and it’s not a Royal residence’
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle are reported to have already secured a private home in Britain ahead of their announced return to the UK later this month, with the property said to be a non-royal residence rather than accommodation provided by the Crown. The couple, along with children Archie and Lilibet, are expected to relocate for an "extended period", with the children set to enrol in a British school, though it remains unclear whether the move will be permanent given the family is retaining both their Montecito mansion and Portuguese residence.
The exact location of the new home has not been disclosed for security reasons, and as working royals are no longer required, the couple will not need patronage-related accommodation. This marks a contrast with their previous UK residence, Frogmore Cottage, which they occupied for under a year before departing for the US in 2020 despite spending £2.4 million renovating it, including rewiring, new utilities, £50,000 of soundproofing and interior design by Soho House's Vicky Charles. The future of Frogmore Cottage, a Grade II-listed property gifted by the late Queen, remains under consideration, with officials reportedly assessing whether to split it back into two separate homes.
- Harry and Meghan reportedly have a private, non-royal UK home lined up
- Family expected back within weeks; children to attend British school
- They'll keep Montecito and Portugal homes; UK stay's permanence unclear
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Prince Harry and Meghan Markle stepped back as working royals in 2020 and have lived mainly in the United States, at a home in Montecito, California, alongside a property in Portugal. They have two children, Archie and Lilibet. Reports now suggest the couple plan to spend an extended period living in Britain, with their children attending a British school there.
Previously, when the couple lived in the UK, they used Frogmore Cottage, a house on the Windsor estate given to them by the late Queen, which they left after less than a year despite spending millions on renovations. Because they are no longer working royals, they are not entitled to royal accommodation, so any new UK base would be a privately arranged home rather than one provided by the Crown.
This matters because it would mark the family's most significant period back in Britain since their departure, raising questions about their relationship with the wider Royal Family and where they will settle long-term, while the exact location of any new property has not been made public for security reasons.