Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s reported purchase of a home in Portugal is so the couple can “pretend they’re still royals”, a commentator has claimed.
The Duke and Duchess of Sus𝑠e𝑥 have reportedly bought a property on the Iberian peninsula which may mean the pair will acquire a “Golden Visa” allowing visa-free access to the European Union’s Schengen area.
Reports of the purchase, which first emerged in the Daily Mail, came after Harry and Meghan were asked by King Charles to hand back the keys to their UK home, Frogmore Cottage.
Commentator Angela Levin suggested the reported purchase might be part of a plan to keep up royal appearances rather than a wish on the Sus𝑠e𝑥es’ part to live near his cousin Princess Eugenie and her husband, Jack Brooksbank, who divide their time between homes in Portugal and the UK.
Ms Levin told GB News: “Eugenie and Jack Brooksbank [are] there and in Harry’s book, Spare, he said Meghan and Eugenie are like sisters.”
“I’m not quite sure of that because in August [Princess Eugenie] said she wants to come back to the UK because she wants to give the children an English education and she wants to be with the family…
“Is that a way they (the Sus𝑠e𝑥es) can go around various countries in Europe and pretend that they’re still royals again? I don’t think there’s anything positive about that.”
Ms Levin said while Portugal offers “sea and sand”, Meghan has that “on her doorstep” in California where she lives with Harry and their children Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet.
Harry and Meghan are known to be close to Eugenie and Jack, who live an hour south of Lisbon in the luxury resort, CostaTerra Golf and Ocean Club.
It was reported last year that Harry and Meghan took a romantic break in Portugal after the Invictus Games, reportedly flying from the host city, Dusseldorf, to the Portuguese capital before travelling to Melides.
At the time it was believed the Sus𝑠e𝑥es stayed with Princess Eugenie and Mr Brooksbank. According to the Daily Mail, Jose Santos, who heads up Alentejo Tourism Board, confirmed Harry and Meghan’s visit.
Harry and Meghan live in a Tuscan-style mansion in Montecito which is said to boast seven bedrooms, 13 bathrooms, a cinema, gym and library.
Their former UK home, Frogmore Cottage, was given to them by the late Queen in 2018 after their wedding, although the property itself is owned by the Crown Estate.
Prince Andrew rejected an offer to move from Royal Lodge to Frogmore Cottage, which King Charles took back from the Sus𝑠e𝑥es after publication of Harry’s bombshell memoir, Spare.
In August, this publication reported Princess Eugenie and Mr Brooksbank were considering a permanent move back to Britain as the couple’s children near school age.
An insider told the Express: “Jack’s company doing so well makes it easier for them to head back to England on a more permanent basis.
“They [the family] are currently spending a lot of time in Portugal and as the boys get a bit older, they are looking for kindergartens near to their London home and eventually schools in the UK.”