Nestled between glorious beaches and impressive mountains, in an exclusive cashmere-clad neighbourhood with Oprah Winfrey and Gwyneth Paltrow as neighbours, you might assume that Prince Harry and Meghan had everything a Duke and Duchess in exile could possibly desire in Montecito.
But it seems their Californian paradise – seven bedrooms, 13 bathrooms and a glorious garden – isn’t quite enough.
As revealed by the Mail’s Richard Eden, the couple have bought a home in the region of Alentejo, Portugal, not far from one owned by Harry’s cousin Princess Eugenie and her husband, Jack Brooksbank.
The location is, unsurprisingly, suitably high-end, with an exquisite coastline and smart restaurants.
Harry and Meghan were first spotted in the Alentejo area, south of the Portuguese capital Lisbon, in September last year, following the Invictus Games in Dusseldorf, Germany.
The couple enjoyed a short break of three nights – perhaps viewing properties or maybe even finalising plans to buy one.
Harry and Meghan have bought a home in the region of Alentejo, Portugal, not far from one owned by his cousin Princess Eugenie and her husband, Jack Brooksbank
Their purchase could also, perhaps, have been facilitated by the amiable Jack – once a barman at the Admiral Codrington pub in Chelsea, West London, and later an employee at Harry’s favourite nightclub Mahiki – who now works in marketing and sales for the CostaTerra Golf and Ocean Club, a luxury development of 300 properties by the sea, with a golf course, spa and equestrian centre.
He, Eugenie, 34, and their sons, August, three, and Ernest, 16 months, live on site and divide their time between the UK and Portugal.
So the fact that Harry and Meghan are also looking to set up a home in the region is a fascinating development. Why? Because it reveals much about the significance of Eugenie and Jack – and their two children – to their lives.
Professionally, socially and emotionally, the two couples and their young broods have become entwined. It would be no exaggeration to say that, in the chilliness of their life since leaving the Royal Family, Harry and Meghan have found a rare familial solace in the company of Eugenie and her family.
Harry, of course, remains estranged from King Charles and Prince William, following a round of hostilities that included the Sussexes’ televised interview with Oprah Winfrey, the Harry & Meghan Netflix series and Harry’s tell-all memoir, Spare.
One could easily see how Harry’s sense of loss could be partly assuaged if he and Meghan could live, at least part-time, near Eugenie and Jack.
Perhaps the biggest attraction will be the knowledge that his own children – Archie, five, and Lilibet, three – will be able to spend time with Eugenie’s children. A royal source says: ‘Harry must know his children are not going to grow up as friends of William’s children, George, Charlotte and Louis.
‘A bond for Lilibet and Archie with Eugenie’s kids will be the only royal friendship they will have. Most likely, August and Ernest are the only cousins they are going to ever spend time with. So time in Portugal, even just for holidays, means that Harry is keeping the only door to the Royal Family just a little bit open for himself and for the next generation, and raising them as royal children, at least in some way.’
The location is, unsurprisingly, suitably high-end, with an exquisite coastline and smart restaurants. Pictured is nearby Carvalhal beach
Indeed, Harry and Eugenie’s family lives have played out in parallel. Lilibet, born in June 2021, is almost an exact contemporary of Eugenie’s elder boy August, born in February of that year.
And there is a link to Harry’s mother. Princess Diana and Eugenie’s mum Fergie were close friends, and he and William used to join Eugenie, known as Euge, and her elder sister Bea on skiing holidays, as well as for those Christmas gatherings at Balmoral.
The royal source continues: ‘The cousin bond is strong between Harry and Eugenie and they have grown up together to some extent. Both have suffered with an at-times difficult relationship with their parents.’
With Fergie’s bounce but none of her father Andrew’s arrogance, Eugenie has long been a kindred spirit for Harry, and he for her.
Jack, too – who met Eugenie while skiing in Verbier, Switzerland, in 2010 and married her eight years later – is also no wallflower. His bit of early-years scandal came at his 21st birthday party, when he was said to have spent some of the evening dancing with a naked stripper, which certainly has shades of Prince Harry and his legendary naked billiards in Las Vegas.
The trio’s friendship thrived through Meghan’s arrival, unlike other friends of Harry who were reportedly cast aside. And for the first year of Harry and Meghan’s married life, the foursome were neighbours: the Sussexes lived in Nottingham Cottage, in the grounds of Kensington Palace, and Eugenie and Jack in Ivy Cottage nearby. Since then, whatever storms have raged, the diplomatic Eugenie has remained loyal to her beloved cousin and his wife, even making public displays of loyalty to Meghan – something vanishingly rare elsewhere in royal circles.
For example, when Meghan turned 40 in 2021, Eugenie took part in her 40×40 initiative to pledge 40 minutes of her time to help a woman returning to work.
She also posted on Instagram for the day itself ‘to celebrate dear Meghan’s birthday’. Eugenie also appears to have been the Sussexes’ link to George and Amal Clooney, who were surprise guests at their 2018 wedding. For Jack had begun working for Casamigos Tequila in 2016, the drinks brand founded by Clooney.
Harry and Meghan have found a rare familial solace in the company of the Brooksbanks and their sons, August, three, and Ernest, 16 months
The actor sold the company in 2017 for $1 billion (£750 million). Today, Jack’s new boss is Mike Meldman, one of Clooney’s former partners in Casamigos.
And it is Meldman who is behind the development of the 722-acre CostaTerra resort, near the village of Comporta. Jack has been working for him and living in Portugal since 2022.
When explaining his vision for the resort, Meldman told an interviewer: ‘I was a single dad of two young kids and wanted to have fun with them on holiday.’
Jack, no doubt, has sold the area’s charms to Harry and Meghan. And, even apart from the strong family connection, it seems to be a perfect fit for the Sussexes. Harry, 40, will enjoy the sunshine and surfing – the Duke’s enthusiasm for the sport was strikingly demonstrated in a video last week on beautiful golden sand beaches.
Meghan’s gastronomical side will be satisfied, too. She took a tour to Formentera off the coast of Spain during her bachelor girl summer in 2016 when she met the Prince, and developed a love for seafood, rice and hot sauce.
Places such as the chic Sublime Comporta Beach Club, known for its fresh oysters and burrata with homemade pesto, where Eugenie has been spotted enjoying lunch, will no doubt be getting a visit from the Duchess soon.
Happily, there will also be perfect security for the Sussexes, as the area where they are understood to have bought is full of gated private estates: refuges for the very wealthy who want to live and holiday in peace, secluded among the 0.1 per cent.
For Harry – whose legal case against the Home Office continues because, as he has it, they have failed to provide him with the security he insists he needs – this last point is a must.
A local estate agent who has been working in the area for decades told The Mail on Sunday that the couple were likely to have spent in excess of four million euros for a property on one of the exclusive resorts. ‘In recent years we have seen A-listers from the States buying homes or plots which are essentially closed environments,’ they said.
Jack Brooksbank works for CostaTerra Golf and Ocean Club in Melides, a luxury development of 300 properties by the sea, which boasts a mile-long private beach
‘It’s very high-end and homes range from four to 20 million euros. There have been rumours in recent months that Harry and Meghan are among the latest buyers. But it’s unclear if they have bought a home that is already built or if it is yet to be built.’
Locals, though, are unlikely to be laying out red carpet for the Duke and Duchess, the agent said.
He added: ‘We have much richer and much more famous people buying here for sure. I think they will have zero impact, to be honest.
‘If someone like Jeff Bezos [the Amazon boss] bought here then, yes, there could be some impact – but not Harry and Meghan.’
Indeed, the contrast between the wealthy who live in the gated estates and the locals is stark.
In the village of Melides, near to some of the gated resorts, locals sit in the square or small family-run cafes to play cards and share an afternoon beer.
The owner of a local seafood restaurant laughs at the mention of British royalty moving into the area.
‘The rich from the resorts don’t eat with the poor,’ he says.
The village also is the location for designer Christian Louboutin’s five-star hotel Vermelho – which is tucked away on the bend of a winding lane.
A local businessman says the designer spent hundreds of thousands of euros uplifting the original cobbles in its grounds only to refit them slightly closer together.
‘Perhaps the princesses’ and actresses’ shoes got stuck between the stones,’ he teases.
Nearby, local beach clubs sell bottles of champagne which can cost 1,000 euros each and huge billboards advertise a series of new developments of luxury villas. Glimpses of building works are visible between the trees.
One local businessman said A-listers were drawn to the area because of the privacy offered.
‘They can walk around unbothered. People are not fussed. The only time there was any fuss about someone coming was when Cristiano Ronaldo turned up and that’s because he’s Portugal’s football hero.
‘Locals protect the privacy of the visitors so you won’t catch anyone talking about seeing Meghan or Harry or anyone else.’ Jose Santos, the head of the local tourism board, agreed that the area provided the perfect combination of luxury and privacy.
‘What all the foreigners, and nationals, too, value in the Alentejo, is luxury,’ he said. ‘That’s not ostentatious luxury but the luxury of serenity and of a quiet, safe country, where safety is very important. There’s also a certain protection that many public figures feel in the Alentejo, where their personal lives won’t be scrutinised as much as in other places.’
High-end hotel brands – including the Mandarin Oriental – are said to be heading to the area.
While critics may say the surge in development will price out locals, an estate agent claims it will bring jobs and investment to the communities.
‘Locals will be able to sell their land for big profit as all the luxury brands want a piece of the area now. We are talking about high-end tourism,’ he adds.
But staff at the Cavalarica Comporta, a popular local restaurant in the Michelin guide, said: ‘The people in the resorts tend to stay in the resorts. They have everything they need there – restaurants and private chefs.’
And for the Sussexes, of course, a slice of extended family life they can’t find anywhere else.