Prince Harry and Meghan Markle recently purchased a second home in Europe, according to a report by The Daily Mail. Sources familiar with the transaction said that the couple bought a home in Portugal, giving them a place on the other side of the Atlantic Ocean for the first time since they were asked to leave Frogmore Cottage in the U.K. The purchase may also give them more flexibility when it comes to travel visas.
Markle and Prince Harry moved to the U.S. in 2020, setting up in Montecito, California while leaving behind their royal residences in the U.K. As far as we know, this is their first purchase of a second home, and it’s not clear exactly where it is. The Daily Mail noted that Prince Harry’s cousin, Princess Eugenie has a second home in Melides, a small town close to the Portuguese capital of Lisbon, where she and her family spend about half their time. It’s unclear if that has anything to do with the Sussexes’ move, or if their new home is in the same area.
Videos by PopCulture.com
Princess Eugenie and her husband, marketing executive Jack Brooksbank, own a home in the CostaTerra Golf and Ocean Club – a luxury property development on the coast. They spend about half of each year there with their three sons. However, Brooksbank currently works for CostaTerra, while Markle and Prince Harry have no such connection to the company. There’s no hint about where their second home will be or how much time they’ll be spending there.
The purchase may allow Markle to obtain a “Golden Visa” to the European Union via Portugal. It would give her relatively free access to the EU’s Schengen area, with no additional travel visas required. In the past, Markle had stated her intention to obtain dual citizenship in the U.K., but after moving to the U.S. she has reportedly dropped that pursuit. Owning a home in Portugal could be a means of making travel simpler.
Markle and Prince Harry were given the royal residence Frogmore Cottage after their wedding in 2018, and lived there in the early years of their marriage. It was a gift from Queen Elizabeth II, and it was still technically theirs after they moved to the U.S., though it was briefly leased by Princess Eugenie and Brooksbank. However, back in January they confirmed that King Charles III had asked them to vacate the home for good. It was then given to the disgraced Prince Andrew.
