Meghan and Harry's new home in Santa Barbara

[Wishingstarr]

Well I've seen the news articles and their new home looks absolutely beautiful and a dream SB pad with the ivy clad walls, pool, tennis court etc. SB has gorgeous homes although very expensive and pretty unaffordable for the humble hoi pilloi. I think Meg has played a blinder. I truly hope their marriage lasts but if not she is in possession of some prime real estate and a neighbor of Oprah. It's also where so many politicians come through fundraising at private events, so if she is politically ambitious she is well situated.

However with 9 bedrooms and 16 bathrooms 😄 I really think they CANNOT lecture the world on cutting back and making do to save the environment in anyway!

I am sure DM readers will explode with jealousy and a collective gnashing of teeth. But they wanted her gone, and she has, to a beautiful ocean facing estate with year round sunshine. Good on yer Megs!

fishy I may have misread yours to indicate the two markets were closer than they are. Of course there are props over 12 mill £ here. They are just nowhere near as run of the mill as in pockets of California.

Fishywaters. H entitled to protection? I thought they are organising and paying for their own (with PC’s help?)

To be fair, it also says her husband/partner had to stoop when he was upstairs so that he didn't bang his head. That'd be a good reason not to stay there.

But I'm wondering how W managed to stay there because he's about the same height, isn't he?

Maybe W&K were just willing to get on with it for a few months but M&H weren’t.

@wufti re security protection it is not just about cost, it is about entitlement to have government and police protection so entitlement to the type of protection. That is what they require. A private security firm would not be safe, you saw what happened to Diana. I am sure PC and the Queen will be seen to help fund the actual security bill but we all know you can move taxpayers funds around a bit. The security bill is far more substantial than the cost of this so called mansion and the US property taxes and Meghan’s wardrobe so who cares. It looks like a lovely and safe place for their baby son to grow up in and I am very pleased for them.

I believe they are no longer international protected people and so have no entitlement to protection - being LaLa celebrities is what, after all, they aspire to be and all those celebrities pay for their own security. Certainly us Brits would be mega pissed off to hear we are still providing royalty type protection to HAM. It is clear from the book that they despise the royal family and everything it entails, so why should they benefit from such protection.

@wufti - whatever their current legal status, I do not believe that the British government are not involved in planning their protection in some form including using intelligence sources. It would all be classified information and obviously the press have whipped up an outrage against alleged security cost. However, the British public is fickle and if something, god forbid, happened to eg Archie as a result of lack of security, the British public would be even more outraged. So I personally believe there must be some sort of collaboration/deal as regards to their security. Nobody in higher ranks wants a repeat of the Diana situation.

I don’t believe the uk government needs to be involved in their security. The uk concern is the direct line of the Queen- Archie will become increasingly irrelevant to the uk public, as will Harry and Megan as time goes on. The sooner Harry - and therefore also Archie - voluntarily renounces his titles and place in the succession, the better for all concerned. He will therefore have no official ties to the RF and will find the freedom he seeks.

Oh, and the press haven’t whipped up the outrage against their security costs. I and many others here in the UK genuinely do not want to pay a single penny towards their protection costs.

I completely understand not wanting to pay their security costs but I wouldn't want something to happen to them either.

Well... I don't want to pay £300,000 p.a. for Andrew to have 3 full time security officers 24 hours a day, despite him having to give up royal duties for far more dodgy reasons, but there you go.

Then they need to make sure they pay for good security - and find their own balance of a lifestyle that protects Archie. Maybe not get involved in anything too controversial.

Well... I don't want to pay £300,000 p.a. for Andrew to have 3 full time security officers 24 hours a day, despite him having to give up royal duties for far more dodgy reasons, but there you go.

Couldn't agree more.

@Roussette

Well... I don't want to pay £300,000 p.a. for Andrew to have 3 full time security officers 24 hours a day, despite him having to give up royal duties for far more dodgy reasons, but there you go.

Agreed. Beatrice and Eugenie had their full time security removed about a decade ago and the reason given was they where too far down the pecking order (fifth and sixth in line) where not and never going to be senior working Royals.

The same rules should apply to everyone including Andrew and Harry.

Yes, totally agree. Why on earth do they need protection in the US when they aren’t working members and contribute nothing to this country?

Also Andy is a parasite. The same applies.

Very good point @WindsorBlues.

I don't want to pay for Harry & Meghan nor prince Andrew nor any other royal not being senior members of the royal family and carrying out royal duties.

I agree, bedknobsandbroomsticks

The Queen refused to budge on Andrew's security detail so nothing will change.

@Roussette

The Queen refused to budge on Andrew's security detail so nothing will change.

At least until Charles is king.

Of course if Andrew is arrested and found guilty of any crimes he won’t be needing that security detail!

I couldn't care less what they spent on their house. I haven't even looked at it. I don't care if they or Archie ever return to the U.K. they've both made it abundantly clear that they were unhappy in and working for the U.K. and it's people and that's fair enough. We are all entitled to leave a job and location we don't like. However we are not entitled to continue to call ourselves by the job title we resigned from and continue to draw all associated salaries and benefits. I don't know how well they'll do, they'll probably do ok in all fairness, but I won't be able to help feeling a tinge of schadenfreude if they don't.

Very true LittleBear !

Wow I can't believe my comment about Prince Andrew was deleted! When I think of some of the things I've had directed at me personally or I've reported for being racist and they've been allowed to stand.

’tis a mystery, the deletions, a mystery m’dear.