Meghan and Harry made their shock exit from the Royal Family on March 31, and have since relocated twice. At first the former Sussex royals lived in Canada, before renting movie mogul Tyler Perry’s Los Angeles mansion. Now the former Duke and Duchess have moved to an area filled with mega-rich celebrities and plenty of privacy.
Located snuggly between the California coastline and the Santa Ynez mountains, Montecito, Santa Barbara, has attracted wealthy celebrities looking for privacy for years.
Property in Montecito is valued between an eye-watering $2 million and $20 million, with one report claiming the couple had spent nearly $10 million on their new home.
Montecito was also described by one luxury real estate agent to be a “paradise for Hollywood stars and the super rich who want to live in splendid isolation”.
Along with Meghan and Harry, the area is home to Oprah Winfrey and Ellen DeGeneres, both good friends of the former royals.
READ MORE: Prince Harry heartbreak: How Harry felt ‘unsupported’ by the Palace in lead up to exit
A huge sign of the wealth of the area is its polo club, a sport which Harry has loved for years.
The Santa Barbara Polo & Racquet club even hosted his brother Prince William in 2011.
For Meghan, yoga and wellness programmes are also hugely popular in the area.
Gwyneth Paltrow described the gong baths at Salt, a spa situated in a man-made underground salt-lined cave, as “a total new age freak-out in the best possible way”.
But a source close to the couple added to the New York Post Harry and Meghan hope to live “as normal a life there as possible”.
They added: “They have thought about this carefully and researched it well.
“This is the place where they plan to be happy, make good friends and bring up Archie, giving him the chance to play with other children his age.”
Nearby celebrities open for playdates include Mila Kunis and Ashton Kutcher’s two children, along with Natalie Portman’s two daughters.
The source also told the New York Post they “intend to put roots down in this house” and be closer to friends.
They added: “This is the first home either of them has ever owned.
“It has been a very special time for them as a couple and as a family, to have complete privacy for six weeks since they moved in.
“They intend to put down their roots in this house and the quiet community, which has considerable privacy.”
The former Duke and Duchess made their permanent move to Montecito in relative secrecy.
Their spokesman confirmed Harry and Meghan purchased and moved in to their new home last month.
He added: “They have settled into the quiet privacy of their community since their arrival and hope that this will be respected for their neighbours, as well as for them as a family.”
Royal insiders have also suggested that Prince Charles helped Harry get the money together to buy the new home, with one source having said to the Daily Mail: “Charles had been keen to help out and put his hand in his own pocket to assist.
“He is devoted to both his sons and any time he can assist them he always will.”
