Franklin Dean
Prince Harry and his wife Meghan Markle have lived in many different places all over the world throughout their relationship. After getting engaged in 2017, Meghan retired from acting and moved into Harry's home on the grounds of Kensington Palace, Nottingham Cottage, a 1,300-square-foot dwelling. The couple then moved into Frogmore Cottage, a wedding gift from Queen Elizabeth II, which was renovated at a cost of $3 million. They lived there until 2020, when they stepped down from their royal duties and moved to California, where they currently reside in Montecito.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Wedding date | May 2018 |
| First home together | Nottingham Cottage, Kensington Palace |
| Wedding gift from Queen Elizabeth II | Frogmore Cottage, Windsor Castle |
| Current residence | Montecito, California |
| Date of residency change | June 29, 2023 |
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What You'll Learn
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's first home
Shortly before the birth of their first child, Archie, in May 2019, the couple moved out of Nottingham Cottage and into Frogmore Cottage, a wedding gift from Queen Elizabeth II. Located on the grounds of Windsor Castle, Frogmore Cottage was extensively renovated and transformed from a five-unit dwelling into a five-bedroom single-family home, with a yoga studio, modern kitchen, guest wing, and a baby nursery.
In 2020, Harry and Meghan stepped back from their royal duties and announced that they would split their time between North America and the UK. They briefly stayed on Vancouver Island before relocating to Los Angeles, where they rented Tyler Perry's Beverly Hills compound. In July of the same year, the couple purchased their first home together, a Mediterranean-style mansion in Montecito, California, for a reported price of $14.65 million. The 7.4-acre property boasts nine bedrooms, 16 bathrooms, a detached guesthouse, a teahouse, a tennis court, and a swimming pool.
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Kensington Palace's Nottingham Cottage
Kensington Palace is a royal residence located in London, UK. It was purchased by King William III and Queen Mary II in 1689 from the 2nd Earl of Nottingham, whose name was Daniel Finch. The property was originally called Nottingham House.
Nottingham Cottage, or Nott Cott, is a 1,324-square-foot house located within the grounds of Kensington Palace. It was designed by Christopher Wren as part of the redevelopment of the site when it was purchased by King William III and Queen Mary II. The cottage has two bedrooms and two bathrooms, a reception room, a small garden, a black-and-white checkered tiled kitchen, a small living room, and a dining room.
Nottingham Cottage has been occupied by several members of the British royal family, including Prince Henry, Duke of Gloucester, Queen Elizabeth II's uncle. From the mid-1950s, it became the home of several senior members of staff to the royal family, including Miles Hunt-Davis, the Duke of Edinburgh's private secretary, and Robert Fellowes, Queen Elizabeth II's private secretary.
In 2011, Prince William, Duke of Cambridge, and Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge, moved into Nottingham Cottage after their marriage, splitting their time between the cottage and their home on the Bodorgan Estate in Wales. Their son, Prince George, was born during this period, and the couple moved into Kensington Palace in October 2013.
Prince Harry moved into Nottingham Cottage in 2013, after his brother's departure. He referred to the cottage as his "bachelor pad" after leaving the army. When Prince Harry became engaged to Meghan Markle in 2017, she moved into the cottage, and it became the couple's first shared home. They featured the cottage in their 2022 Netflix docuseries, "Harry & Meghan". In 2019, the couple moved out of Nottingham Cottage and into Frogmore Cottage, ahead of the birth of their first child, Archie.
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Windsor Castle's Frogmore Cottage
Frogmore Cottage is a Grade II-listed home on the Frogmore estate, part of the Crown Estate, the British monarch's public estate. It is located in the grounds of Home Park in Windsor, England, half a mile south of Windsor Castle. The cottage was built in 1801 at the direction of Queen Charlotte, who used the house as a country retreat for herself and her unmarried daughters. It was originally known as Double Garden Cottage and was listed in Queen Charlotte's 1801 accounts for her garden as having been built for £450 by a Mr Bowen.
In 2019, Frogmore Cottage was provided to the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, as a grace-and-favour home by Queen Elizabeth II. The cottage was converted into a four-bedroom-and-nursery single-family home at a reported cost of £2.4 million from the Sovereign Grant before the birth of their son, Archie, in May 2019. The couple also held their engagement photoshoot and one of their wedding receptions at the neighbouring Frogmore House. In January 2020, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex stepped down as senior working members of the royal family and announced their wish to repay the Sovereign Grant expenditure for the refurbishment of Frogmore Cottage as they were relocating to North America.
In November 2020, Princess Eugenie, the younger daughter of Prince Andrew, the Duke of York, and her husband, Jack Brooksbank, took up residence at the cottage. In February 2022, the Duke of Sussex and his wife expressed a desire to renew the licence to occupy the cottage, which would allow Harry to remain legally domiciled in the UK for citizenship and immigration purposes. In May 2022, Eugenie reportedly vacated the cottage. In March 2023, it was reported that her father, Prince Andrew, had been offered Frogmore Cottage in exchange for surrendering his lease on the nearby thirty-room Royal Lodge in Windsor Great Park.
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Montecito, California, estate
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's Montecito, California, estate is located in an upscale, exclusive coastal town, 80 miles northwest of Los Angeles in Santa Barbara County. The property includes a sprawling 7.4-acre estate, which they purchased for $14.7 million in 2020. The Mediterranean-style home, known as The Chateau, is designed to be both luxurious and family-friendly, with ample space for their children, Archie and Lilibet, to play and grow. The house features a library, gym, home theatre, and arcade, a nursery, large pool, tennis court, chicken coop, rose gardens, and a roomy terrace with a wood-fired stove and barbecue. The main living spaces are adorned with classic wooden beams and large windows, allowing natural light to flow through. The exclusive enclave has become a safe haven for the rich and famous, with famous neighbours including Oprah Winfrey, Ellen DeGeneres, and Rob Lowe.
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Harry's preference for living in the US
Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex, has expressed his preference for living in the United States, where he has resided with his family since 2020. In an interview, Harry stated that he is "happy living in the U.S." with his growing family, despite missing certain aspects of life in England. He acknowledged that he misses his friends and the "weird family gatherings" that come with being part of the royal institution.
Harry's decision to move to the US was influenced by his desire for a change of environment and a fresh start. In the Netflix documentary, he stated that he "outgrew his environment" and felt that the US, specifically Los Angeles, was the most obvious place to go. He also shared his belief that his mother, Princess Diana, might have chosen to live there as well.
Harry and his wife, Meghan Markle, first resided in royal residences in the UK before settling in Montecito, California. Their previous homes included Nottingham Cottage, a modest dwelling on the grounds of Kensington Palace, and Frogmore Cottage, a wedding gift from Queen Elizabeth II located on the grounds of Windsor Castle.
The move to the US allowed Harry and Meghan to step back from their royal duties and establish their own brand, "SussexRoyal." They also launched the Archewell charitable foundation and ventured into commercial partnerships with private companies. Meghan, a former actress, also started her own lifestyle brand, reflecting her life in California.
In addition to personal and professional reasons, Harry's preference for living in the US may be influenced by his desire for privacy and a quieter life. The couple has faced media intrusion and frustrations with the limitations imposed by the royal family. By relocating to the US, they gained more control over their lives and public image.
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Frequently asked questions
Before their wedding, Harry and Meghan lived in a two-bedroom, two-bathroom dwelling in Kensington Palace.
After their wedding, Harry and Meghan lived in Frogmore Cottage, a wedding gift from Queen Elizabeth II. The property was transformed from a five-unit dwelling into a five-bedroom single-family home.
In 2020, Harry and Meghan moved to California, where they currently live with their two children, Archie and Lilibet, in Montecito, outside of Santa Barbara.
