If England’s Buckingham Palace was too rigid and confining for Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, their home in Montecito, California, is just right. Markle considers the town and their home, Chateau on Riven Rock, a space where she can “feel free” and considers it “calm and healing,” as she recently told The Cut.
In 2020, Markle and her husband, Prince Harry of the British royal family, purchased a home in the uber-wealthy enclave after just touring the estate’s exterior. Just 90 miles northwest of Los Angeles, they are neighbors of Oprah Winfrey.
The Work of Meghan Markle, Duchess of Sussex
Markle’s current net worth, is $60 million. Markle and her husband, Prince Harry of the British royal family, recently signed a lucrative five-year $100 million production deal with Netflix that will allow them to produce a series of feature films, children’s programming, and documentaries. Markle’s podcast, “Archetypes,” is part of the couple’s $18 million deal with Spotify. In addition, the couple has launched Archewell, Inc., an organization focused on creative media. Markle has also published a children’s book, “The Bench.”
Before marrying Prince Harry in 2018, Markle was an actress. Her most prominent role was in the legal drama “Suits.” She has also been cast in films such as “Get Him to the Greek,” “Horrible Bosses,” and “Anti-Social.” During this time, Markle became a social media influencer and lifestyle blogger with The Tig, which ran from 2014 to 2017.
When Markle became the Duchess of Sussex in 2018, she worked with Prince Harry on projects focused on inclusivity, social entrepreneurship, educating girls, and women’s empowerment. However, in 2020, the couple resigned from their roles as senior royal family members. That year, the couple settled in California, staying in one of the homes of producer and director Tyler Perry. They stayed at Perry’s for three month and the filmmaker provided them with a full security detail. Reportedly, prior to this Markle had never met Perry.
Inside Markle’s Montecito Estate
The 18,000-square foot residence is no palace, but it is a sprawling estate with nine bedrooms and 16 bathrooms. The couple purchased their first home in 2020 for $14.65 million. As a result of the pandemic, the couple was not even initially allowed to tour the home, but after viewing the estate’s exterior, the couple reportedly made an offer after realizing there were two palm trees connected at the root.
When the couple purchased the property, it included features such as an elevator, a chef’s kitchen with a butler’s pantry, a billiard room with a wet bar, a gym, a wine cellar, and a spa with a massage room.
For the last two years, Markle has completed renovations to make the house a home. Markle and Prince Harry’s renovations have included redesigning the home to resemble a European chateau. The home includes wood-beamed ceilings and stone walls throughout.
Markle also added an additional office space with a sound-proof recording studio. In this studio, she can record her podcast.
A sitting room includes a grand piano that was given to the couple by producer and director Tyler Perry as a housewarming present. On the piano is the inscription “Write the soundtrack of your life.” The room also has a set of comfortable chairs and Soho House rosewater candles. Soho House is a memorable place for Markle and Prince Harry — they first met during a blind date at the exclusive membership club in 2016.
An office that Markle and Prince Harry share is also present. While it includes a single desk in front of a fireplace, two club chairs are present, sitting side by side as a focal point in the room.
The exterior includes rose gardens, a tea house, a tennis court, a pool house adjacent to a swimming pool, and even a chicken coop. A two-bedroom guest house is also present on the property.
