Could H&M have bought a suburban semi?

[Bluemuf]

Or maybe a cottage in the woods and lived a life of obscurity, if that's what they wanted?

Harry's a rich man based on inheritances alone, they could have lived quite comfortably relative to most of us, if they'd chosen a quiet life.

I suspect it's not that simple for them, but why not?

I'm yet to meet a prince living in a penthouse apartment, although that might be an upgrade from Notts barn.

Yes, that awful, titchy, old, little shack they were living in. You've got to admit, they've really suffered on their IKEA sofa.
I mean it's not like it's in the grounds of a palace or designed by one of Britain's finest and best known architects or something. That would be different.

They’d literally have to go to quiet some effort to find a semi detached in Southern California

@mixedrecycling Yes, I loved it.

But if they lived a modestly well off and private life and the world lost interest in them, where would their income come from when the money dries up?

I believe they had a hidden rental home somewhere. The British paparazzi found it and took photos of the exterior and the interior. While In Canada and in California have had drones flying over their property. No they couldn't just rent a semi in the country. The British tabloid press believes they own H&M.

The kind of home that has the needed security is mega expensive. They have had so much hate directed at them they are are at real risk from someone deciding to attack or even kill ne of them, especially Meghan.
The celebrities who live private lives but also need a home with massive security spend a lot of money on this. Harry and Meghan simply do not have enough money, they have to work in some way.

The same happened with Sarah Ferguson after the divorce. The royal family were not happy she was appearing on tv adverts in the US for weight watchers, but she had to earn a living.

Although I am not convinced the senior royal family members really understands this reality.

There is a reason why many of the minor royals live at Kensington Palace, keeps the security costs low. So no i don't believe they could safely live in a ordinary street.

But the RF which Dad is head off, has many properties and estates all over the UK. I'd be fairly sure a suitable property could be purchased or made available to Harry.

Charles made it clear they are getting zero financial support. So they are earning the only realistic way they can. It's all kind of inevitable

Earning your own money gives you independence and freedom. We've all experienced that, Meghan certainly has, although it's new for Harry. Celebrity was always an aim - that's not a criticism, it's a lifestyle for many. Look at Tuesday - they flew 2,000 miles for Meghan to collect that award. She looked amazing. Full on glam, spoke well. It's important for her brand. They leave the venue in a blizzard of flashbulbs, make the front pages. However, it's a tricky balance with that sort of lifestyle. They were never going to live on a ranch in Montana, but obviously need to balance privacy.

Harry inherited more money from his mother than most of us will see in a lifetime. Living modestly, why would the money dry up?

Because you can't buy the security they need on the kind of money they inherited.

I don't think senior royals understand this. Three million can last a lifetime if you buy a suburban three bedroom house for a million with its own driveway and gates. Plenty of privacy for an ordinary person. But not secure at all. The paparazzi would be over the gates and taking photos through the windows. Their private security guards are rumoured to cost three million a year.

The senior royal family have never had to pay for security. They probably have no understanding of the extremely high costs so probably did think they could live on his inheritance. Although it was partly the palace briefings against harry and Meghan that make security a necessity.

Don't they have Netflix and wahhh Spare, money? I'm sure they are not scrabbling down the sofa for loose change ! Also they have rich friends and influencial people who help them out.

Yes they do. The question is whether they could have managed purely on Harry's inheritance.

Isn't it chicken and egg? They need the security because they have so much attention. They wouldn't need so much security if they never did anything to attract attention?

They needed security the minute they left the royal family and were cut off financially. There was massive interest in them. The money would have run out in under a year if they did no work but paid for security. Interest was still insanely high after a year.

And I am not knocking her pr attempt. It was a good one and worked. Suddenly people knew who she was.

OP - they needed security because Harry was in the army and the (then) Queens grandson. The moment he accepting going everyone in the RF had to accept that would make him personally and any subsequent family a target. And even if the numbers being shared of £2-3m a year are massively out, even if it’s 0.5m a year, his £10m won’t last that long.

But the royal family assumed he’d be a Fergie, go out alone for a few years, blow through his inheritance, rack up debts, humiliate himself but make the family look classy in comparison, then come back and live quietly the way the royal family wants them to for the money/security. That Harry actually had earning power (and most importantly, doesn’t seem to give a shit if he is damaging the institution of monarchy), didn’t seem to occur to anyone.

If they stopped the books, interviews, awards etc interest would go down significantly. There would still be the odd pap lurking somewhere even after 5 years but they could live a lot more quietly. Instead the make announcements and release statements, which keep people and the paps interested. They want to be in the entertainment industry but not put up with it's toxic culture.

Well it is rumoured that jeffrey Epstein paid off Fergies debts so hopefully the sussexes have a bit more morality about them.

Loads of celebs live on the Berkshire/Oxfordshire borders round the Sonning/Henley area.

Whilst their houses are fancy and often have gates , it's impossible to distinguish which house belongs to a celeb and which belongs to a banker or tech marketeer. It's not uncommon to see the Clooneys out on an early riverside run, at the local theatre or in a pub or restaurant in the area. It's not unusual to see a famous face in the Henley Waitrose. I suspect it's possible to live a low key life in the right area. But your behaviour has to be impeccable to keep the village gossips from blowing your cover.

I lived in a tiny house designed by a famous architect. It was listed. It was also two bedrooms and basically a terraced type house with unusual features you could only see if you were outside. I was pleased when we could afford to move to our current 3 bedroom semi-detached. Inside it is far more spacious and practical.

The press are not that interested in those people though. There are zero scandals for example. A photo of George Clooney going for a run? So what? George does not get followed around by the press for a full day.
And those who do attract interest and who live in Henley do walk around with very discrete bodyguards. I have witnessed this myself.
Harry and Meghan were so attacked in the press before they stepped down as being working Royals, that they were never going to be able to live without security. There have been a number of credible threats against Meghan personally.
Some people on MN have spent hours and hours attacking Harry and Meghan, and then seem surprised or bemused that online attacks have real-life consequences so they need security. And security costs a lot.
So how are two people who are not billionaire business entrepreneurs going to pay for security? The obvious answer is to do what they did.
The Royal Family has learned nothing from what happened to Fergie. She was cut off financially and the family was also outraged at what she did to earn money. The Royal Family does not have to fund anyone. But if you cut off people financially, they will do what they need to make money. And that is unlikely to be ventures that Senior Royals would approve of.
But I also think the Senior Royals will be clueless about all of this as they have never had to think about money. They have never had to even wonder how much their security costs and if they can afford it. I also think the Royal Family probably expected Harry to come crawling back within a year or two years tops. And they thought cutting him off financially would bring that about. They were wrong.

Backgrid are the ones who followed them the other night apparently they have demanded copies of the photos and footage they took....they were told no