Prince Harry and Meghan Markle hit with ban that could scupper plans to sell their £11m LA mansion

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have been hit with a strict ban that could affect them selling their £11m LA home.

• Prince Harry and Meghan Markle could face another setback when selling their Montecito home after California was hit with a hosepipe ban.
• The Duke and Duchess of Sussex could struggle to water their eight acres of rolling lawns as a drought is impending.
• This royal news comes as fans ask did Prince Harry and Meghan Markle wish Kate Middleton a happy birthday?

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle are reportedly looking to buy their dream home and would see them put their £11m LA mansion on the market or rent out their home for a staggering amount.

But there's a new ban which looks like it could put off potential buyers.

Their Montecito neighbourhood has been hit with a hosepipe ban as the Californian state prepares for drought, and with all properties in the area banned from using the watering aid, to hose down the vast landscape, the grass and plants could end up wilting and even completely dying.

It's estimated that the Duke and Duchess of Sussex spend up to £15,000 a month on gardening but the "stop watering" notice issued last month threatens to push up the cost of tending to their vast garden as they resort to other ways of watering their array of plants, which features immaculately pruned rose gardens, elaborate topiary, fruit trees, tall Italian cypresses, blooming lavender bushes, and century-old olive trees.

And with the Sussexes rumoured to be looking for their dream family home, with their son Archie, two, and daughter Lilibet Diana, seven months, it could prove difficult for them to keep their garden looking healthy for potential buyers.

Their nine-bedroom, 16-bathroom property is particularly prone to drought because historic topography maps and photos show it was built on land with no natural creeks.

The couple has a swimming pool on site, as well as an artificial pond, a babbling brook and small waterfall. A well was installed in 2016 which is thought to help keep the thirsty gardens lush and green.

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle gave Oprah Winfrey a tour of their mansion during their bombshell interview, showing off the sweet chicken coop in their backyard.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sJ4X4BDSIZk

The new ban is seeing all residents, including Prince Harry and Meghan, instructed to preserve water as a result of a drought that has sparked fears that the arid, mountainous region will fall victim to wildfires.

And fines of up to £300 ($500) are in place for anyone caught wasting water under the new rules which prohibits watering the grass within 48 hours of rainfall, filling decorative fountains, or washing cars without a shut-off nozzle on the hose.

Mid-December saw 80% of the state fall under "extreme" or "exceptional" drought conditions.

The new rules will last a year and there are no exceptions for golf courses or other recreational facilities.

In 2014, Harry and Meghan’s friend and neighbour, Oprah Winfrey, was forced to transport in thousands of gallons of water to her 40-acre “Promised Land” estate after a drought.

That summer, 837 residents coughed up $532,000 (£393,000) in penalties over their water use.