Where do Harry and Meghan live in California and when did they move to LA?

Where Harry and Meghan live now is practically palatial and we’re incredibly jealous.

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have certainly had a busy few years since stepping down as senior royals in March 2020. From welcoming new family member Lilibet Diana, to launching organisation Archewell and their signing production deals with Netflix and Spotify - it seems the couple have barely had time to press pause.

Thankfully though it seems the royal pair, their adorable son Archie and young Lilibet have found a place to call home in California, providing the perfect solace to working life. Located close to the coastline and with a host of A-lists friends right on their doorstep, it’s a great place to raise their family. From an on-site private spa and swimming pool to the house’s hefty price tag, here's everything to know about where Harry and Meghan live now and their enviable LA home.

Where do Harry and Meghan live in California?

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle currently reside in the small, wealthy seaside community of Montecito in Santa Barbara, Los Angeles. The couple live with their son Archie and daughter Lilibet in the nine-bedroom mansion called home. 

According to the Daily Mail, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex paid $14.65 million (£11.2million) for the property back in June 2020. "We did everything we could to get this house," Meghan told The Cut in August 2022. Thankfully a few lucrative production deals and Prince Harry's net worth enabled them to secure their dream home.

In addition to a large number of bedrooms, the 18,000 acre property has 16 bathrooms and is no doubt furnished with Meghan's impeccable style. Fans have seen glimpses of how the Duke and Duchess have chosen to decorate their house in the background of Harry and Meghan's Netflix series, plus in Zoom calls from their house when highlighting charitable causes.

There is also believed to be a separate guest house on the estate with a further two bedrooms and bathrooms. This will no doubt come in handy when Meghan's mother Doria stays or for pals of the Prince who don't live locally.

Other incredible features of the property apparently include an arcade and games room, a movie theatre, a wine cellar and a spa with two saunas. It is also reported that there is a garage which has space to store up to five cars.

There’s no shortage of space outside too, with their royal grounds spanning a staggering 7.38 acres. Archie and Lilibet can learn to swim in the private outdoor pool or spend their afternoons playing in the children’s cottage, which was featured on Harry and Meghan's Christmas card in 2020. The two youngsters cand also help mum and dad tend to the chickens at the adorable Archie's Chick-Inn - which Oprah visited during the couple's tell-all interview.

Harry and Meghan can enjoy time on their own tennis court or take a stroll through their tiered rose garden. The couple's gorgeous garden also served as the backdrop to their adorable pregnancy announcement in February 2021.

And the couple had their daughter Lilibet christened there on March 3, 2023.

As figures in the public eye, privacy is very important for the couple, which explains why they chose this house. The property is on a private road with a long driveway and has large gates for extra security.

Prince Harry and Meghan are in good company in Montecito, with Hollywood royalty as neighbours. Actors Tom Cruise, Gwyneth Paltrow and Ellen DeGeneres all have houses in the area. Whilst Meghan’s close friend Oprah Winfrey is also nearby.

American actor Rob Lowe is another famous local resident. He claimed he saw Harry sporting a new hair-do whilst out driving in the neighbourhood.

When did Prince Harry and Meghan move to LA?

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex moved to LA in March 2020. The couple were initially living quietly in Canada after walking away from royal life in the UK. However, as the Covid pandemic began to take fold, the two left for Meghan's home of California.

Harry and Meghan left their rented $14 million Vancouver Island mansion on March 14, 2020 and boarded a private plane to Los Angeles. After touching down, the Duke and Duchess set up home in Beverly Hills, California.

The royal pair stayed at US actor Tyler Perry’s palatial mansion for the first few months of their LA life. In their Netflix documentary series, the couple revealed how he had reached out to them before their wedding in 2018. Feeling isolated and worried about the lack of security in Canada, Meghan called Perry for his help and advice.

"He [was] like, 'My house is safe.… You’re going to stay as long as you need,'" recalls Meghan. "And I’m going get you there safely. And I’m gonna keep you there safely until you have somewhere to go." The private jet that flew Harry, Meghan, Archie, Meghan's mother Doria and their dogs to California was also provided by Perry.

As it transpired, Perry's eight-bedroom $18 million house provided the perfect base for the Prince and the Duchess, coming complete with a beautiful nursery for Archie.

The family of three went on to spend the first coronavirus lockdown at Tyler’s house and even moved in Meghan’s mother Doria to help with babysitting duties. Young Archie celebrated his first birthday at the California pad, enjoying a homemade strawberry and cream cake baked by mum.

Why did Harry and Meghan leave Canada to move to California?

In the Harry and Meghan Netflix series, the couple reveal that they left Canada as they didn't feel safe after their Vancouver Island location was outed in the British Press. With their security also being withdrawn as a result of stepping back, the two turned to friend Tyler Perry who offered a safe passage and space in California.

Prince Harry and Meghan's relocatation to California could also have coincided with a number of other personal and professional reasons. First and foremost, the sunny state is where the Duchess was born and raised. Meghan’s childhood was in LA and the place has always held a special place in her heart. Plus, Meghan's mother Doria still lives in the area and a number of Meghan’s friends also reside in the region.

California is also a better fit for the couple’s work commitments too. Prince Harry's job at Better Up is based in Silicone Valley, California. Harry and Meghan's Netflix dealand their contract with Spotify also mean it's easier to be based in the Golden State.

The former Suits actress also did the voiceover for Disney film Elephant  in April 2020. With further film projects potenitally in her future, this again makes it practical for the family to base themselves close to Hollywood in LA.

Former royal butler Paul Burrell has also explained that the couple's choice to move to the US is all part of their plan to live a life of less scrutiny, further away from the intense media spotlight in the UK. It was for these reasons that Paul claims Harry's mother, Princess Diana, also wanted to move to LA before her untimely death.

Paul revealed: ‘[Diana] said, “This is our new life, just won’t it be great, think of the lifestyle [for] the boys… Nobody’s judgemental here in America, you don’t have the class system, you don’t have the establishment”.’

Related features:

• Why does Prince William call Harry 'Harold'? His nickname and full name explained
• Can Prince Harry still be king and is he still a prince now he lives in the US?
• How did Prince Harry and Meghan Markle meet and when?
• When did Prince Harry and Meghan Markle get married?

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