sussexes montecito move© Photo: Getty Images

Why Prince Harry and Meghan Markle chose to move to Montecito - report 

A royal biography claims the reasons behind the Sussexes' move

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Online Royal CorrespondentLondon
August 31, 2021

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex moved into their Montecito home in July 2020 and have since welcomed their daughter Lilibet to their family.

While Meghan was born in California, the couple have never publicly stated their reasons for moving to Montecito, a community located in Santa Barbara, which is popular with A-list celebrities.

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A new epilogue in royal biography Finding Freedom claims that a number of the Sussexes' friends, including US chat show host, Oprah Winfrey, had recommended Santa Barbara County to them as a "perfect place to raise a family, specifically Montecito, where houses sat within double-gated communities for maximum privacy yet were close enough to the amenities of civilisation when needed".

Prince Harry and Meghan have shared glimpses of their stunning home during their video calls, including the Duchess' Pinterest-worthy desk set-up as she celebrated her 40th birthday earlier in August.

MORE: Has Meghan Markle ever stayed with the Queen at Balmoral?

MORE: Prince Harry and Meghan Markle 'feel the royal family did not take full ownership' after Oprah interview

Finding Freedom in paperback, £8.19, Amazon

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When Finding Freedom was published last August, a spokesperson for the couple said at the time: "The Duke and Duchess of Sussex were not interviewed and did not contribute to Finding Freedom. This book is based on the authors' own experiences as members of the royal press corps and their own independent reporting."  

The Sussexes lived in Canada for a few months after stepping back from royal duties in March 2020. Before finding a family home of their own, they resided at Tyler Perry's Beverly Hills mansion.

Harry has returned to the UK twice since stepping back as a senior royal; to attend the Duke of Edinburgh's funeral in April and to unveil a statue of his late mother, Diana, Princess of Wales in July.

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