Almost two years exactly since Prince Harry and Meghan Markle left their UK-based royal duties behind and high-tailed it to the sunny enclave of Montecito, California, the couple are reportedly looking to move. The couple’s mansion, in which the family of four spent their first Christmas holidays all together just last month, was purchased for nearly $15 million in August 2020. But in spite of the sprawling grounds and 16 bathrooms (!), a source says the couple want to sell.
An insider, speaking with the Daily Mail, explained that the Sussexes want to raise their family in a house they’re more fond of than their current one. But that doesn’t necessarily mean leaving Montecito altogether, where they count Oprah and Kate Perry as neighbors. “They want to stay in the neighborhood or nearby, but they aren’t over the moon about the house or the location,” the source told the publication.
While the source didn’t offer more insight into the reasons for the planned move, Harry and Meghan initially cited as a reason for going stateside the urge to create more privacy for their children. The news of their current home, their neighbors, and even Archie’s school are all well-publicized at this point, so additional privacy may very well be a driving force behind the change.
Should the couple’s mansion go on sale in the near future, it boasts some serious amenities. The Chateau of Riven Rock, as the estate was (somewhat pretentiously) named by its previous owner, businessman Sergey Grishin, comes with a tennis court, a swimming pool, a movie theater, a gym, a wine cellar, and a pub games room—in addition to a separate guest house.
So if you have $15 million burning a hole in your pocket, keep an eye on the real estate market in Montecito and you may just get a chance to own Meghan and Harry’s old house.
