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!

@slithytoveisascientist

Kind of off topic but I am absolutely gobsmacked by how appalling the writing is in that book. Is that the authors’ usual style?

I am listening to it on Audible (free), it sounds OK when being read, especially as the reader has a pleasant, unaffected 'ordinary' English voice. I'm generally picky about prose styles but, not seeing the written word, it's quite different hearing it.

I'm enjoying it, more interesting than I expected and nothing controversial that I can tell.

It's written by journalists who write differently to novelists or biographers so that's probably why it grates on some people.

No writing style could be worse than that Mary Trump book which I started to read in pdf; I dislike Trump as much as the next person but it was awful.

@WindsorBlues

They could have done the same as William and Kate when George was born, and stayed in Nottingham Cottage until the apartment was ready.

It's mentioned several times in finding Freebies how small Nott Cott is. The second bedroom wasn't big enough for all Meghans clothes. Such a hardship.

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?

She just handed her diaries over to omid and carolyn i suppose

Why would anyone be gnashing their teeth? They can probably live a more typical life in Santa Barbara but have you actually been there OP? I feel a bit sorry for them having to swap London for that to be honest.

I'd be embarrassed to admit I had so many clothes, they filled a whole bedroom. Having so much 'stuff' isn't very environmentally friendly.

The bedroom is probably tiny and more like a walk-in wardrobe. I have quite a lot of clothes. It's not necessarily bad for the environment if you keep them for years, buy vintage, need different sizes.
I thought the hand warmers were a nice touch.
I'm a bit surprised that they included the full postcode. I know you could Google and find it but most people wouldn't.

I have just finished reading Finding Freedom and cringed the whole way through it. Meghan contributed to it I think. It reads like she speaks and paints her out to be the most perfect, saintly, intelligent, kind, brave, etc., etc., woman in the world. A lot of negativity towards Kate in it too, definitely major jealousy issues there.

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.

I really couldn't give a shiny shit about Meg playing a 'blinder' with her 'prime real estate'.

So much for stepping out of the limelight. She'll be running for President next.....

Who actually wrote the book? Was it Omid Or Carolyn , because it was definitely written by an American. It is littered with American words and all the spellings are American. It reads like a book written by someone not very familiar with Britain shall we say. The prose style is awful. It is full of grammatical errors too.
Also it reads like one voice in parts and another in other parts. Very much like most of it is lifted from a diary and the rest is reporting on what the author believes happened.

Omid and Carolyn both wrote it apparently. I agree re the diary, sections of it read like it was lifted straight from someone’s personal writings. The level of detail is also staggering, how would the writers know the exact menu from Christmas Day at Sandringham or what the inside of Nott Cottage or the Queen’s private quarters look like unless someone told them? Also, the details about the Botswana trips could only have come from Harry and Meghan. If not and it’s all a pack of lies, then why aren’t they suing?

@WindsorBlues

They could have done the same as William and Kate when George was born, and stayed in Nottingham Cottage until the apartment was ready.

It's mentioned several times in finding Freebies how small Nott Cott is. The second bedroom wasn't big enough for all Meghans clothes. Such a hardship.

It might be small, but Kate and William coped even after George was born.

It still won't get her a film career.

I hope they put their extreme privilege to good use.

I want to know what their secret project is that they’re going round telling everyone about.

@morriseysquif

It still won't get her a film career.

I hope they put their extreme privilege to good use.

I agree on both counts. If Meghan was a good enough actress for a film career, she would have made it long ago. Late 30s/40s is too old for most roles in Hollywood and the roles for that ages have very good actresses as competition.

They need to do so or else they don’t stand any chance of winning back over many of the public who are exasperated with their whinging.

I've never read a H&M thread before. I take a low grade interest because I like fashion and enjoy seeing what M and K wear. My DM showed me pics of the new gaff in Santa Barbara because I have family near there. It's a beautiful place. Never understood the dislike for M tbh. It's seeping in here though.

Late 30s/40s is too old for most roles in Hollywood and the roles for that ages have very good actresses as competition.

So speaks a "hollywood mogul".😂 Are you?
if your daughter/sister had been in years of a successful tv series and made pots of money from it I'd think you'd say they were a pretty successful actress.🙄

I'd be embarrassed to admit I had so many clothes, they filled a whole bedroom. Having so much 'stuff' isn't very environmentally friendly.

Oh don't be daft. Cottages rooms can be tiny and generally have no storage. You have NO IDEA how big the 'room' was. And can I ask do you have to attend lots of events in the public eye? Looking smart ?🙄

I feel a bit sorry for them having to swap London for (Santa Barbara) to be honest

Knowing the area well I definitely agree with that; there are much nicer cities in SoCal, perhaps with less topshow but with more of a community feel

Each to their own of course, but personally I'd have gone south of LA - maybe around the Newport/Laguna area

I can see how it does read better aloud due to all the commas, run on sentences and self-interruptions. However on the page it reads shockingly. I also find much of the in-sentence information completely irrelevant. Very word salady. I work in journalism (but not sleb style media) and the calibre of writing is far higher.

if your daughter/sister had been in years of a successful tv series and made pots of money from it I'd think you'd say they were a pretty successful actress.

Not if she was unknown for her acting by almost everyone on the planet, and known only as a result of her relationship/marriage. Hollywood is a harsh and horrible environment, especially for women.

Not if she was unknown for her acting by almost everyone on the planet
Nah not true. obviously. 🙄
7 series. USA.

Hollywood is a harsh and horrible environment, especially for women.

Agree.

The house they have bought is a good deal at 15 million USD. It is a great investment at that price. They are clever and they will make heaps of money. I just do not understand why people are so jealous. The house isn’t even that expensive- plenty of houses/flats in London are more expensive than that. Harry was never going to be king so he has gone off to do his own thing and have his own identity in the way he sees fit. He doesn’t belong to the British public, he should do as he sees fit, he gets one life only, like the rest of us.

Women in Hollywood are definately judged harshly, but I wonder if Harry will need to up his game regarding his appearance too. Neither the Windsor nor Spencer men age well.

Is his hair thicker than it used to be? Maybe they got a 2 for 1 offer.

@fishywaters

The house they have bought is a good deal at 15 million USD. It is a great investment at that price. They are clever and they will make heaps of money. I just do not understand why people are so jealous. The house isn’t even that expensive- plenty of houses/flats in London are more expensive than that. Harry was never going to be king so he has gone off to do his own thing and have his own identity in the way he sees fit. He doesn’t belong to the British public, he should do as he sees fit, he gets one life only, like the rest of us.

I entirely agree that he should be free to live his life as he pleases. The difficulty arises if he wants to retain the benefits of being royal without accepting any of the limitations and responsibilities that go with that.

fishy there really aren’t plenty of flats and houses in London over 15 mill usd. There are some but the housing markets are not comparable. There are very few mansion sized properties in London (a few more out in Highgate and some outer suburbs). I have family in both Santa Barbara and Carmel and even as a very central Londoner I consider those property markets to be extreme !

Im suddenly fascinated by california districts. I will be googling newport and laguna later

@HeronLanyon- quick Rightmove search shows a lot of houses and flats above 12 million pounds for sale in London. The point being, it isn’t even that much money to spend so it isn’t that extravagant. Not by international rich standards anyway. Harry didn’t choose to be royal, he was born royal and photographed from day 1 without his consent. That has made him famous and also poses a security risk for him so he is entitled to be protected to that extent. Fair enough, he gets to meet a lot of important people because he was born royal and as a result he needs to behave in a certain way and not be too disrespectful to tarnish the name of the royal family. Other than that, he can do what he wants. Why hang around here being 6th fiddle in line to the throne and a harassing press when he can achieve more elsewhere and enjoy more personal freedom. That is his privilege being only 6th in line to the throne.