The Duchess of Sussex has
spoken out about the challenges they faced when looking for a new home
together, outside of the UK, saying that when they initially fell in love with
the Montecito mansion they live in now, they weren’t sure they could afford it.
Described by journalist
Allison P Davis, who went to Meghan and Harry’s home to conduct the interview,
as evoking a “classic Tuscan villa, a Napa vineyard and a Beverly Hills
country club”, the property certainly sounds very special.
“We were looking in this
area (Montecito, California) and this house kept popping up online in
searches,” Meghan explains, when asked about their relocation from London.
She then adds that, at first,
they were reluctant to view the place as they didn’t “have jobs” and
its price tag was a cool $14.65 million. “We didn’t have jobs, so we were
just not going to come and see this house. It wasn’t possible. It’s like when I
was younger and you’re window shopping – it’s like ‘I don’t want to go and look
at all the things that I can’t afford, that doesn’t feel good’.”
Meghan also added that she and
Prince Harry did “everything they could” to get the home, as it
sparks feelings of joy and calm as soon as you enter it. “It’s healing,
you feel free.” The pair have both signed various multi-figure deals with
leading brands, such as Netflix and Spotify, since stepping down from their
royal roles, which will have no doubt helped along the way.
The Duchess said that the
garden was a huge draw too, and spoke about two intertwined palm trees in the
garden of the property, remarking that they were the first thing Prince Harry
noticed about the nine-bedroom, sixteen-bathroom estate (that comes complete
with a pool and tennis court).
“See how they’re
connected at the bottom?” Meghan said. “He goes, ‘My love, it’s us’
and now every day Archie goes by us, he says ‘Hi momma, hi papa’.”
