File photo: Prince Harry, and Meghan, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex
Meghan Markle and Prince Harry are reportedly house-hunting in the Cotswolds, with the couple said to be looking for a sprawling countryside home that meets a detailed list of requirements, from nine bedrooms and a film studio to vast private land without public footpaths, according to The Daily Mail.The couple and their children, Archie and Lili, arrived in the UK on Wednesday and are currently staying at a spare property owned by an extremely wealthy friend on the fringes of the Cotswolds.While reports had suggested that the Sussexes had agreed to buy a £12 million property, three separate sources told the publication that no deal had been finalised.
Nine bedrooms and a film studio for Meghan
The couple are said to have several properties under consideration, with a source telling The Daily Mail that there is significant choice available in the market.As for what they want, Meghan is reportedly seeking a home with nine bedrooms and a film studio.Harry, meanwhile, is said to want extensive land around the property and no public footpaths crossing it, with privacy emerging as a key requirement for the family.The Sussexes are reportedly using an estate agent but have not yet viewed properties in person.“Online viewings are all very well, but the houses that they are looking at are so huge that you need to go in person and it’s also a really big commitment,” a source told the outlet.The source said the couple were considering the practical aspects of raising their children in a prospective home, asking questions such as, “Is this the snug where we will light a fire and watch a film; is this the kitchen where I will cook meals for the next ten formative years of my child’s life?”
A British countryside base for the family
The couple have been discussing a move to the UK since at least the early part of the year and drew up a shortlist of schools in early spring before viewing schools during a visit in July.Archie, seven, and Lili, five, are expected to attend the same prep school near their temporary base, the report said.A friend told the publication that the couple’s priorities for their children were centred less on academics and more on a nurturing, outdoorsy and sporting environment.“They want to put them in a secure countryside microcosm, so that they will have as normal a childhood as they possibly can,” the friend said.The Sussexes are said to plan to remain based in the UK during school terms while retaining their £11.1 million Montecito mansion in California and a £6.3 million holiday home in Portugal.Meghan is expected to continue running her lifestyle brand, As Ever, while Harry plans to continue his charitable work and engagements. The publication reported that the couple do not plan to undertake commercial activities in the UK.One source also said that Meghan could eventually use a film studio at the new home to create homemaking content.For now, however, the search continues, with the couple reportedly yet to finalise a property in the Cotswolds.
