Prince Harry and Meghan Markle feel 'very protected' in their new Santa Barbara mansion and are 'very happy' to have 'a sense of normal life' with their one-year-old son Archie.
Prince Harry, 35, and Meghan Markle, 39, are taking in all the privacy that their new $14.7 million home in Santa Barbara, CA is giving them and they are “very happy” with their decision to move into it. Although the news of their move recently went public, they’re still embracing the normalcy they have been feeling ever since they made the initial private transformation with their son Archie, 1. “Meghan and Harry knew eventually the news of their move would go public. It was inevitable,” a source EXCLUSIVELY told HollywoodLife. “They would have liked [their privacy] to last longer and they did take steps to keep it from getting out. They hardly told anyone and those that were in the know were sworn to secrecy, but obviously it wasn’t going to stay a secret forever.”
“They’re okay with it [getting out] because they still feel like they have their privacy,” the source continued. “The way their property is situated they do feel very protected. They have tons of space to play outside with Archie and not worry about their privacy and that’s priceless to them.”
The space and location of their mansion has been allowing Harry and Meghan to live their lives without being under a constant microscope and they’re thrilled about the freedom they now have. “They feel that this move has given them a chance at a sense of a normal life. They are very happy,” the source explained. “They love the house but they will be making some changes to make it their own so they’re in that phase now. Meghan has a great eye for design and great taste so everything will be beautiful. She’s very excited to make this house their home.”
The news of Harry and Meghan’s move to Santa Barbara, which came four months after they moved to the Los Angeles area, broke on Aug. 12, about a month after they settled in. “The Duke and Duchess of Sussex moved into their family home in July of this year,” the pair’s rep told Entertainment Tonight. “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.”The royal couple stepped down from royal duties in early 2020 and originally planned on moving to Canada, but after the COVID-19 pandemic hit, it seemed they had a change of plans and relocated to California, where Meghan’s mom, Doria Ragland, resides. They have kept things relatively low-key since arriving in the City of Angels and were only spotted a handful of times while taking part in volunteer work for specific charities and appearing in video chats for organizations they support and work with.
