Prince Harry and Meghan Markle Keep £11M Montecito Estate, Fueling Speculation of UK Exit Strategy
Despite relocating to the United Kingdom at the end of August with Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex have no intentions of offloading their luxury Montecito estate, according to emerging insider reports. The decision to maintain the multi-million-pound California property has sparked widespread analysis suggesting their British residency may be short-lived.
Purchased in 2020 following their high-profile withdrawal from front-line royal life, the 18,000-square-foot gated compound in Montecito’s private Riven Rock neighborhood features nine bedrooms, 16 bathrooms, an expansive swimming pool, tennis courts, and dedicated children’s quarters. Amid speculation regarding potential tenancy, a source informed Page Six: “No one is moving in. There are folks still maintaining the property.”
The move to retain the estate provides the Sussexes with an immediate exit ramp back to the United States, particularly as tensions mount over their taxpayer-funded security arrangements in the UK. The Home Office continues its administrative review regarding armed police protection for the family, with commentators such as the Daily Mail‘s Richard Eden framing rumors of a US return as “akin to blackmail” aimed at British security authorities.
The couple’s domestic position has been further complicated by institutional distancing from the Palace. Shortly after their return, Lord Chamberlain Richard Benyon circulated a formal advisory to Whitehall officials and military commanders clarifying that the Sussexes function strictly as “private citizens with commercial and charitable interests.”
Veteran royal commentator Richard Fitzwilliams noted to the Daily Express:
“Harry’s royal standing may very well be affected by his and Meghan’s decision to come back to Britain, blindsiding the King and the Royal Family. Already there has been trouble, the ‘surprise’ the Sussexes have expressed over the letter sent out by the Palace about their status and their preference to be public figures rather than private citizens. These are harbingers of trouble to come.”
