Harry & Meghan Secretly Scouted the Cotswolds During UK Visit — And Their Quiet Search May Reveal Far More About Their Return
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle are understood to have made a discreet trip to the Cotswolds during their visit to Britain last month as they searched for a new family home.
The Duchess of Sussex is also believed to have returned to the area alone while Harry was attending an Invictus Games event in Birmingham, according to reports.
The couple have a long-standing connection to the Cotswolds. Before their 2018 wedding, they spent around seven months living in a rented farmhouse on the Great Tew Estate, where they reportedly enjoyed the privacy and countryside surroundings.
Harry later wrote in his memoir Spare that they had considered making Oxfordshire their permanent home, praising the fresh air, greenery and lack of photographers. They eventually left after the location of the property became public.
A QUIET RETURN TO AN OLD FAVOURITE
During their latest visit, Harry and Meghan are believed to have spent several days at a private property on the Great Tew Estate — close to where they previously lived — while looking for a suitable house.
The couple are understood to have viewed potential properties in the area, while Meghan reportedly made a separate visit.
The Cotswolds, sometimes dubbed “Britain’s Beverly Hills”, has long been popular with celebrities and wealthy residents. The area is also home to the exclusive Soho Farmhouse, a place Meghan has visited regularly and where she previously held her hen party.
The couple also travelled from the area to meet King Charles at Highgrove and visited Althorp House in Northamptonshire, where Princess Diana is buried.
THEIR NEXT HOME COULD ALREADY BE FOUND
It is understood Harry and Meghan have now identified a substantially larger property, although its exact location has not been disclosed.
The couple have also secured school places for Archie and Lilibet ahead of their return to Britain.
Their potential move would put them close to several famous names and members of the wider royal circle. David and Victoria Beckham have a country home nearby, while Princess Beatrice and Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi own a farmhouse in the area.
Meghan’s friend Ellen DeGeneres also lives in the Cotswolds with her wife, Portia de Rossi.
Simon Cowell and Lauren Silverman are among the other high-profile residents associated with the region.
SECURITY REMAINS A MAJOR QUESTION
But finding a home may be only one part of the Sussexes’ complicated return.
Harry continues to face uncertainty over his security arrangements in Britain. He lost his taxpayer-funded 24-hour protection after stepping down as a senior working royal and moving to the US in 2020.
After challenging the decision in court, Harry secured a new Government review of the risks facing him and his family. However, the new assessment has reportedly been delayed amid a wider backlog.
If armed protection were reinstated, the cost to the taxpayer could reportedly reach millions of pounds a year.
Harry and Meghan previously spent time in Britain without taxpayer-funded armed police protection, but it remains unclear what arrangements will be in place when the entire family returns.
FAMILY AND OLD FRIENDS COULD BE CLOSER THAN EVER
During their secret visit last month, the couple are believed to have spent a few days staying in a private house on the Great Tew Estate – where their previous famhouse was Credit: Splash
The couple may also have a network of friends and relatives nearby as they settle back into British life.
Princess Eugenie and Jack Brooksbank remain close to the Sussexes, while Harry’s childhood friends and members of the wider family also have links to the region.
Zara and Mike Tindall live at Gatcombe Park in Gloucestershire, although Harry is believed to have become more distant from his cousin in recent years.
Mike Tindall, however, recently reshared a video featuring Harry, something that could potentially be interpreted as a small gesture towards rebuilding their relationship.
For now, the Sussexes’ exact plans remain private.
But with a property search already underway, schools secured for their children and their return to Britain drawing closer, their quiet trips to the Cotswolds may have been far more significant than they first appeared.