Meghan Markle and Prince Harry begin search for countryside home in England
The Sussexes are staying with a friend near the Cotswolds while looking for a new residence in the UK, where they plan to enroll their children in private schools.
Meghan Markle and Prince Harry arrived at Birmingham Airport on Wednesday and are currently staying in a friend’s spare home on the edge of the Cotswolds. According to a Daily Mail report, the couple have begun an active search for a permanent residence in the English countryside. Sources say they are looking for a property with multiple bedrooms and extensive land to ensure privacy, mirroring the size of their Montecito mansion and accommodating their desire for a “countryside dream.”
The Sussexes own a $15 million home in Montecito, California, and an $8.5 million vacation house in Portugal, and they intend to keep the Montecito property for the upcoming holiday season. They have also indicated that their children, Archie, 7, and Lilibet, 5, will be enrolled in a private school in the United Kingdom.
A friend quoted in the report said that Harry will be living in the UK as a private citizen, which means he will not be subject to public access requests that apply to working members of the royal family. The same source suggested that the couple’s move is motivated by a desire for greater personal freedom and a stable environment for their children’s education.
Harry is expected to focus on charitable work, including upcoming involvement with the Invictus Games in Birmingham, while Meghan may travel between the UK and the United States for business interests tied to her lifestyle brand, As Ever. No taxpayer-funded security has been provided to the family, and the couple’s financial arrangements are described as independent of the royal household.