Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have reportedly purchased a home in Montecito, near Santa Barbara, California, for approximately $10 million, TMZ reported.
Montecito realtors told the publication that the couple went into escrow in July, and the deal closed around one week ago. The royals’ new neighbors include Oprah, who lives in a sprawling estate in the upscale neighborhood.
Page Six reported that Harry and Megan have been quietly living with son Archie in their new neighborhood since early July after leaving Tyler Perry’s Beverly Hills mansion.
Amid speculation that the pair were set to buy a Los Angeles pad, a source revealed that the Duke and Duchess of Sussex never intended to put down roots in the city. The insider explained that it was a good place for the family to stay when they first arrived in the United States so they could be close to Meghan’s mom, Doria Ragland.
“This is the first home either of them has ever owned,” the source told the publication. “It has been a very special time for them as a couple and as a family — to have complete privacy for six weeks since they moved in.”
“They intend to put down their roots in this house and the quiet community, which has considerable privacy. This is where they want to bring Archie up, where they hope he can have as normal a life as possible.”
The insider also noted that Meghan and Harry are not houseguests of “Oprah or anyone else” and underlined that the royal couple bought the house themselves because Santa Barbara is where they want to continue their lives after leaving the U.K.
While the source did not reveal details of the property, they added that the pair thought about the move carefully and researched it thoroughly.
“This is the place where they plan to be happy, make good friends and bring up Archie,” they told the publication and revealed that Harry and Meghan want to give their son the chance to play with children his own age.
Before their move, the family was believed to have been staying at entertainment mogul Tyler Perry’s £18 million property, which boasts 12 bedrooms and eight bathrooms. According to the Page Six article, Perry was mentored by Oprah and is also represented by members of the team who have worked with Megan and Harry since their move from the U.K.
This news comes after The Inquisitr reported that Prince Harry is still close to his grandmother Queen Elizabeth II, despite breaking away from the royal family and moving to a different continent.
