What’s better than royal gossip, you ask? Royal real estate gossip. Reports say that Prince Harry and Meghan Markle are buying a home near Melides, Portugal.
The purchase would be a significant one for the couple. The Sussexes have not had a home in Europe since Prince Charles asked them to vacate the Frogmore Cottage in March 2023. It also puts to rest recent unsubstantiated rumors circulating on the internet that the couple is experiencing marital woes. (You don’t buy more property together if you’re on the brink of divorce, after all.)
Why Melides, Portugal? It’s likely to be close to family: Princess Eugenie and her husband, Jack Brooksbank, own a home in the luxury development in the nearby CostaTerra Golf and Ocean Club. The two couples are said to be close, even amid the Sussexes’ estrangement from the broader royal family. Plus, their respective children are similar ages: Lilibet Sussex and August Brooksbank are both three years old.
Then, there’s the security factor to consider. According to the 2024 Global Peace Index, Portugal is the seventh safest country in the world. The couple has expressed security concerns, especially in the United Kingdom. (In 2022, the former head of counterterrorism police in the United Kingdom confirmed that the Duchess of Sussex, received multiple “disgusting and very real” threats against her life when she was living in the U.K.) A home in Portugal may be a way to have a presence on Harry’s home continent while also feeling a sense of peace.