Meghan Markle has revealed how she and Prince Harry found their dream home in California and why they initially believed they could not afford to buy it.
The Sussexes had to adjust their lives after their decided to leave their roles as senior working royals in January 2020.
After choosing to relocate to California, the Duchess of Sussex, 41, has now spoken of the challenges the couple faced when choosing their new home.
Meghan said the pair fell in love with a mansion in the town of Montecito but the multi-million dollar price tag almost ruined their dreams.
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“We were looking in this area and this house kept popping up in online searches,” the mum-of-two explained recently in an exclusive interview with The Cut when describing their search for a home after leaving London.
Although the pair loved the look of their nine-bedroom, sixteen-bathroom house, the $14.65 million (£12,576,805.25) price tag certainly cast doubts in their minds.
“We didn't have jobs, so we were just not going to come and see this house. It wasn't possible. It's like when I was younger and you're window shopping – it's like 'I don't want to go and look at all the things that I can't afford, that doesn't feel good'."
The royal couple did ‘everything they could’ to secure the home because Meghan says ‘it’s healing, you feel free’ there.
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One area of the mansion that sparked joy when Meghan and Harry visited it for the first time is a pair of intertwined palm trees in the garden, which the former Suits actor says was the first thing her husband noticed about the estate.
Meghan recalled: "See how they're connected at the bottom? He goes, 'My love, it's us' and now everyday Archie goes by us, he says 'Hi momma, hi papa'."
Since leaving their official royal duties, the couple have signed deals with the streaming giants Spotify – the home of Meghan’s highly in-demand podcast Archetypes, which premiered this week – and Netflix, which likely helped them find the collect to buy their dream home.
In the second episode of Meghan’s podcast, music legend and the queen of Christmas, Mariah Carey, was the special guest. The 53-year-old ‘My All’ singer spoke about society’s negative connotations of the word 'diva' as well as their experiences as biracial women.
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“You were so formative for me,” Meghan said. “Representation matters so much.
“But when you are a woman and you don't see a woman who looks like you somewhere in a position of power or influence, or even just on the screen — because we know how influential media is — you came onto the scene, I was like 'Oh, my gosh. Someone kind of looks like me’.”
Featured Image Credit: James Boardman/Alamy Stock Photo/ArchewellTopics: News, Celebrity, Meghan Markle, Prince Harry, Home