The hotly-anticipated docuseries Harry & Meghan, which was released this month and has been trending on Netflix ever since, has also stirred up quite a bit of controversy. Even ahead of its release, the streamer was accused of using old and out-of-context footage in the trailer to portray the press hounding the royal couple, and now it turns out something else was not as it seemed. The house where Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s extensive interviews for the six-episode series were filmed was not actually their home, but rather another mansion a few miles away. And it’s for sale!
Two years ago, when the Duke and Duchess of Sussex decided to step away from their royal duties and relocate to the U.S., they purchased an estate in Montecito, California, where they still live with their two children, Archie and Lilibet. However, when they sat down with Netflix to give viewers a peek into their lives and decision to leave the royal family, they did so in a fake home — one that could be yours, if you’ve got a spare $33.5 million lying around.
The 2006 Montecito mansion sits on 2 acres of landscaped grounds, Dirt reports. Its 12,804-square-foot main house and additional 800-square-foot guest house boast six bedrooms, six full bathrooms and 2 half-baths. The home features mountain and ocean views, in addition to some pretty famous royal neighbors.
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have caused quite a stir with their decision to release a limited series about their lives and relationship. While Part 1 of the series discussed topics like the effect of Princess Diana’s death on the Duke of Sussex, as well as Markle’s own complicated relationship with her father’s side of the family, Part 2 delved into their exit and the reasons for wanting to leave London.
Despite the series' popularity, the reactions to Harry & Meghan have been brutal, and I can only imagine knowing that they were not actually filming in their home will only perpetuate the “series of lies” accusations from Meghan Markle’s half-sister and others. Somebody’s going to have quite a story to tell, once they scoop up the multimillion-dollar estate where the series was filmed.
Among the other amenities that $33.5 million will get you are a library with wood paneling, a fireplace and secret door into the primary suite (I’m sold based on the secret door alone), as well as a chef-quality kitchen, a screening room with a fireplace and wet bar, a game room for kids and separate game room for adults, a meditation lounge and a gym. That’s not to mention the outside, which features a “Wimbledon-quality lawn,” according to marketing material, infinity pool, organic vegetable beds, a chicken coop and beehives for honey.
So if that’s Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s fake house, what do they have going on three and a half miles away? Their own home is actually larger! It's actually 19,000 square feet on 7.4 acres, featuring nine bedrooms, 16 bathrooms, a pool, tennis courts (whether they’re Wimbledon quality is not specified), a playground and chicken coop.
If you want to check out Harry & Meghan for a look at your next potential home, all six episodes are available to stream with a Netflix subscription. Be sure to also check out our 2023 TV schedule to see what premieres are coming in the new year.
