We know you’ve been losing sleep over this for months now, but the chances of Tyler Perry announcing Meghan Markle as the lead in his next film just decreased exponentially. The actress-turned-duchess and her immediate family have apparently moved on from Perry’s Beverly Hills mansion, where they’ve been staying since relocating to California post-Megxit.
If you’re still reading past the page break, you definitely care, so let’s not play that silly game in the comments where you pretend that you don’t, and get into this stateside royal-watching with us. (*Beyoncé voice* We know you care!) Anyhoo, People magazine reports that in spite of divesting from the royal family’s substantial financial support earlier this year, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have purchased what is undoubtedly a charming home in “the picturesque seaside town” of Santa Barbara, approximately 100 miles north of Los Angeles. (And last time I visited, Santa Barbara wasn’t cheap—after all, it merited its own soap opera!)
“The Duke and Duchess of Sussex moved into their family home in July of this year,” the couple’s rep said. “They have settled into the quiet privacy of their community since their arrival and hope that this will be respected for their neighbors, as well as for them as a family.”
According to Page Six, the Sussexes moved six weeks ago; a source further explained that Meghan and Harry had never intended to settle in Los Angeles permanently, but wanted to be close to Meghan’s mom Doria Ragland upon their arrival in California. As of last month, Ragland was reportedly living with the couple and helping to care for 15-month-old son Archie (h/t Vanity Fair), but the newest updates infer that she’ll continue to reside in L.A. while the family lives an hour or so upstate.
“They intend to put down their roots in this house and the quiet community, which has considerable privacy,” said the source, hinting at the invasion of privacy lawsuits recently filed by the couple after drones allegedly attempted to capture pictures of their son. “This is where they want to bring Archie up, where they hope he can have as normal a life as possible.”
Well, not too normal—they are still famous and presumably rich, after all. People noted that their new neighbors include good friend Oprah Winfrey, who “owns a number of properties in the area and lives in a stunning estate located in the Montecito community of Santa Barbara.” But for those of you prone to accuse the Sussexes of soliciting handouts, don’t get it twisted.
“They are not houseguests of Oprah or anyone else, they bought this home themselves. This is where they want to continue their lives after leaving the UK,” the source told Page Six, adding that although they’d remodeled Windsor’s Frogmore Cottage together (their first home), the new house represents a surprising new milestone for the couple, who married in 2018. “This is the first home either of them has ever owned. It has been a very special time for them as a couple and as a family.”
Join the discussion! The Root is hosting its first-ever, virtual Root Institute, presented by Target, featuring several of the leading minds in our community talking about politics, culture, health, community building and social impact. Subscribe for updates today!