Where do Harry and Meghan live?

Where Prince Harry and Meghan live in 2023 is not too far removed from a palatial home with its £11.2 million price tag and extensive grounds - and as well as having Orlando Bloom as a neighbour, we’re pretty envious.

Since Prince Harry and Meghan Markle stepped back as senior working members of the royal family in March 2020, they’ve had a busy few years filled with one new baby and several business ventures. From welcoming new family member Lilibet Diana, to launching organisation Archewell and signing production deals with Netflix and Spotify to Prince Harry releasing his first autobiography Spare.

And in a bid to go under the radar of royal life, Prince Harry revealed in the final episode of the six-part docuseries, “We were there for six weeks. No one knew. My family still thought I was in Canada.”

Actor, comedian and producer Tyler Perry, who helped the couple find somewhere to stay when they left the UK added, “Every day, I would look on the... Google. "Nope, they don't know yet! 

"We talked and they'd laugh, and they were doing so well. They'd send me videos,” he recalled.

It seems the couple have barely had time to press pause. But thankfully Harry, Meghan and their adorable son Archie and young Lilibet have found a place to call home, providing the perfect solace to working life. 

Located close to the coastline, and with a host of A-list friends right on their doorstep including Katy Perry and Orlando Bloom, Ellen De Generes, Oprah Winfrey, and Tom Cruise, (it’s reported that Ariana Grande and Gwyneth Paltrow live nearby too), 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 home…

Where do Harry and Meghan live?

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

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 and possibly for Princess Eugenie (Prince Harry’s cousin) who has visited on a couple of occasions with her husband Jack Brooksbank and their sons August and Ernest.

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 can also help mum and dad tend to the chickens at the adorable Archie's Chick-Inn - which Oprah Winfrey (who also lives nearby) visited during the couple's tell-all interview in 2021.

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.

The couple also had their daughter Lilibet christened there on March 3, 2023. Lilibet’s secret christening featured no royals but at the time a spokesman said, "I can confirm that Princess Lilibet Diana was christened on Friday, March 3 by the Archbishop of Los Angeles, the Rev John Taylor."

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.

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 hold, the two left for Meghan's home in 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 a 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,'" recalled 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 revealed 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 from royal duties the two turned to friend Tyler Perry who offered a safe passage and space in California.

Prince Harry and Meghan's relocation 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. Prince Harry's job at Better Up is based in Silicon Valley, California. Harry and Meghan's Netflix deal and their now-ended contract with Spotify, also meant it was easier to be based in the Golden State.

The former Suits actress also did the voiceover for the Disney film Elephant in April 2020. With further film projects potentially 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”.’

Are Harry and Meghan moving out of Montecito?

Reports surfaced that the couple have found the area of Montecito “too remote” and are eyeing a potential move to Malibu. A source told UsWeekly: “They love their life there. But it feels a bit remote and removed from the city. She loves being by the beach, which is why she and Harry decided to move to Montecito. Nothing has been decided yet but moving to Malibu is definitely on their radar.”

In other royal news, The Crown fans might be wondering about Princess Diana's bodyguard: What happened to Trevor Reece Jones or How did Dodi meet Diana? Their relationship is explained ahead of The Crown Season 6.