Before she and Prince Harry crossed the pond to settle down in California with their growing family, Meghan Markle was living a quieter lifestyle in a cozy Colonial-style home. Located in Los Angeles’ Hancock Park neighborhood, the 2,262-square-foot home was put on the market in 2019, giving royal fans a glimpse at the Duchess of Sussex’s life prior to officially becoming a member of the British royal family.
According to TopTenRealEstateDeals.com, Markle rented the cozy home with her now ex-husband Trevor Engelson until their 2013 divorce. At the time, the actress-turned-duchess had a bustling acting career and would split her time between L.A. and Toronto, where she filmed Suits nine months of the year. After she sparked romance with Harry and subsequently became engaged, she exited the series to dedicate her time to being a full-time member of the royal family.
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The home is said to be just “a stone’s throw from downtown Hollywood,” and boasts and impressive floor plan filled with “white walls and bright minimalist décor.” When the home went on the market with a $1.8 million price tag, it was “staged in pure Megan style, almost as if she had just stepped out for a quick trip to the grocery.” Keep scrolling to peek inside the former home of the royal!
The Front
Built in 1924, Markle’s former living quarters span 2,262-square-feet, an open floorplan, and featured four bedrooms, three baths, a family room, a living room with fireplace, and a dining area.
“Rare colonial Hancock Park charmer with so much sunshine! Abundant off street parking! Open floor plan downstairs amazing for entertaining. Living room with fireplace opens to dining room and family room,” the official listing reads. “Kitchen with eat in breakfast area. Four sunshine filled large bedrooms and two remodeled bathrooms upstairs. Park like grassy yard with porch, al fresco dining area, garage. Spacious, open, and airy in amazing central location! Buyer to verify square footage.”
The Living Room
Flooded with natural light thanks to large windows and the open floorplan, the spacious living room features a sleek design of crisp white walls and wood floors that run throughout the home. Currently, the room, boasting all white furniture, features pops of accent colors like blue and yellow. The living room also boasts a fireplace.
The Kitchen
Boasting natural light, white cabinets, marble countertops, and stainless steel appliances, the kitchen made for the perfect spot for Markle to show off her cooking skills.
The Duchess of Sussex is known to have a love of cooking, something that she has put to good use since becoming a royal. In September of 2018, Markle worked side-by-side at the Hubb Community Kitchen with women who suffered after the Grenfell Fire, which took more than 70 lives. Together, they crafted a cookbook, with proceeds going directly to the kitchen.
“I immediately felt connected to this community kitchen; it is a place for women to laugh, grieve, cry and cook together. Melding cultural identities under a shared roof, it creates a space to feel a sense of normalcy — in its simplest form, the universal need to connect, nurture, and commune through food, through crisis or joy — something we can all relate to,” Markle said in a short film coinciding with the release of the cookbook. “Through this charitable endeavour, the proceeds will allow the kitchen to thrive and keep the global spirit of community alive.”
The Dining Room
Once dinner is served, guests can enjoy their meal in the dining room, which, according to TopTenRealEstateDeals.com, opens onto a patio to offer an al fresco dining option, perfect for warm summer days and backyard bar-b-ques. For larger gatherings, or perhaps even game day, the open floor plan allows for guests to freely move about the home and enjoy their meal in either the dining room or the living room.
The Bedroom
After a long day of traveling back from Toronto, Markle could relax in one of the home’s four bedrooms. Located on the upper floor of the home, the bedrooms feature wood flooring, white walls, and more than enough space for a king-sized bed and other furniture.
Also on the floor are two remodeled bathrooms, one of which features a gray, white, and black color scheme with gold accents. The bathroom is fitted with a walk-in shower and bathtub as well as a vanity.
Outside
Sitting on an 8,099-square-foot lot, the Hancock Park home offers plenty of space for outside entertainment and get-togethers. In addition to a patio, the lot also features a two-car garage with additional parking.
Frogmore Cottage
After tying the knot, Markle and Harry enjoyed their time in Windsor, where they relocated ahead of the birth of their first child together, son Archie Harrison Mountbatten-Windsor.
The 10-bedroom home located on the grounds of Windsor Castle in Berkshire – once the home to Abdul Karim, the first Indian member of the royal household and Queen Victoria’s aide – boasts lush gardens, green fields, and a serene lake, offering the couple plenty of privacy.
Prior to moving in, the royals did plenty of renovations to the home, though, with reports stating that they redecorated the exterior doors, windows and walls, and upgraded the outbuildings as well as transformed one of the rooms into a nursery for their son. They also changed the landscaping of the garden and added some lighting.
Back to LA!
Flash forward several years, and Markle is now back in Los Angeles, where she is raising son Archie Harrison Mountbatten-Windsor, with Harry. The couple crossed back over the pond and settled down in L.A. after announcing in Jan. 2020 their decision to step back as senior members of the royal family. At the time, the couple said they planned to balance their time between the U.K. and North America, allowing them “to raise our son with an appreciation for the royal tradition into which he was born, while also providing our family with the space to focus on the next chapter.”
In August 2020, a spokesperson for the couple confirmed “moved into their family home in July of this year,” and “have settled into the quiet privacy of their community since their arrival,” ABC News reported at the time. The couple is now likely busy at work prepping a nursery, as they are currently expecting their second child together. The little one on the way will be eighth in line to the British throne.
