Since stepping down as senior members of the British Royal Family in 2020, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have moved to California. The couple currently live in a £11 million, nine-bedroom mansion in Montecito. They appear to have settled into their new neighbourhood well with their two children, Prince Archie, 5, and Princess Lilibet, 3.
Although there has been much speculation that the couple could return to the UK, especially as Prince Harry is embroiled in a US visa controversy after revealing his drug use in his memoir “Spare” last year, expert Jennie Bond believes they will stay in Montecito for a long time.
Former BBC reporter Jennie Bond told OK! magazine there are three main reasons why Harry and Meghan would find it difficult to leave the US. Firstly, Prince Archie is enrolled in a local school. Secondly, they enjoy more freedom in the US than in the UK. Plus, Meghan is very close to her mother Doria, who lives near them.
“I don’t think they have any plans to leave California. They seem to love it there… The sunshine, the sea and the freedom are all very appealing. Meghan loves being close to her mother, who is such a big part of their lives. Their children are settled and Harry has said he sees America as home. When he returns to the UK, he stays as short as possible before flying off somewhere else,” said Bond.
Prince Harry, 40, returned to the UK alone in September 2024 to attend the WellChild Awards. His wife, Meghan, 43, is believed to have stayed in the US with their two children. The Duchess of Sussex last visited the UK with her husband in September 2022, when she attended the funeral of Queen Elizabeth II.