The Duke and Duchess of Sussex often take video calls inside their home office in Montecito, but Prince Harry offered fans a new look at their sentimental interiors in his latest video.
During a virtual appearance at Travalyst’s annual convening in the South of France, Harry sat in front of a white bookshelf that displayed his family photo album. One framed photo showed his pregnancy announcement with Meghan Markle in 2021 when they were expecting Princess Lilibet.
At the time, the couple – who already shared Prince Archie – turned to Misan Harriman to virtually photograph them in the privacy of the garden of their Montecito home. Resting her head in Harry's lap, pregnant Meghan looked radiant with her hand on her blossoming baby bump framed by a large Jacaranda tree. The edges of those branches were unmistakable in Harry's latest video appearance.
However, the snap was recently at the centre of debate, after some claimed that Harry and Meghan's photographer had admitted to changing the background from a meadow to a woodland.
It stemmed from an interview Missan did with Michael Berkeley on the Private Passions podcast in 2022. Michael asked Misan: "They weren't actually under a willow tree, they were lying outside in a meadow, Harry and Meghan, when you took a photo of them?"
Without making reference to the background, he replied: "They were lost in their life at home, in their garden, comfortable celebrating new joy, new life, the fortitude of hoping for light in life after such a loss that they went through with a miscarriage. And so it really was a particularly joyous image to celebrate life itself."
Missan later denied that the image was doctored in any way, stating Michael used a "leading question" and branding it as "dangerous journalism."
Despite the recent controversy, it has not stopped Harry and Meghan from ensuring their special pregnancy announcement takes pride of place in their home.
It's not the only sentimental photo to feature on the bookshelf; Harry also has a framed picture of his late mother Princess Diana, who died in a car accident in Paris when Harry was 12.
In the snap, Harry peers over Diana's shoulder as he wraps his arms around his mother, who smiles with sunglasses perched on her head. It clearly holds a special place in his heart, since it also featured in the front of his book, Spare.
The Duke and Duchess moved into their stunning mansion in 2020 after stepping back as senior royals and relocating from the UK to America. They purchased the property for just shy of $14 million, and it features 16 bedrooms, a chicken coop, a large pool, a tennis court and a wine cellar.
Their Netflix docuseries Harry & Meghan shared an unprecedented look inside, including their home office. The room features a large desk for the Duke and Duchess to work from, as well as a stunning seating area and a huge California print on the wall above the fireplace.
Speaking about the home's appeal, Meghan told The Cut it offers a "healing" atmosphere. "We did everything we could to get this house. Because you walk in and go … Joy. And exhale. And calm. It’s healing. You feel free," she said.
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