See Every Home Meghan Markle and Prince Harry Have Lived in amid Shocking Move to Britain

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have lived in Nottingham Cottage and Frogmore Cottage in Britain, as well as a mansion in Montecito, Calif. Here’s a look at their previous homes around the world.

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Meghan Markle and Prince Harry have lived in several homes across the world since marrying in 2018

After stepping back from royal duties in 2020, the couple eventually settled in Meghan’s home state of California

In August 2026, PEOPLE exclusively revealed that Prince Harry and Meghan are moving to Britain with their young children

After six years in California, Meghan Markle and Prince Harry are making a shocking return to Britain.

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex are relocating their family to Harry’s home country for an extended period beginning in August, PEOPLE revealed. Their young children, Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet, are set to begin school in the U.K. in September.

While much of Harry and Meghan’s early love story unfolded in England, with Prince Harry proposing at Nottingham Cottage, the pair’s first shared home, the Sussexes will not be returning to their previous royal residences. Rather, the family will establish a private, non-royal home base in Britain while retaining their homes in California and Portugal. The location of their family home and the children’s school are being closely guarded.

Following their 2018 wedding, Queen Elizabeth gifted the newlyweds Frogmore Cottage in Windsor Great Park, where Meghan and Harry welcomed their first child, Archie. After announcing they were stepping back from royal duties in 2020, the family briefly lived in Canada and Los Angeles before settling down in Montecito, Calif. Harry and Meghan relinquished the lease on Frogmore Cottage in 2023.

As they prepare for their move back to Britain, here is a look at the homes where Meghan and Harry have lived throughout their marriage.

Nottingham Cottage in London

Nottingham Cottage — a 1,300-square-foot, two-bedroom home on the grounds of Kensington Palace — was the first place that Harry and Meghan called their own. It was previously Prince William’s shared home with Kate Middleton before Harry used it as his bachelor pad in the years before meeting Meghan.

“It’s a lovely, classic Victorian cottage. It’s probably two-up, three [rooms] down. It’s not very big, incredibly small,” former police protection officer Ken Wharfe told PEOPLE in 2017.

Wharfe added that the several cottages on the compound were “well restored” as they were originally built in the late 17th century and used for “estate workers.” In fact, Nottingham Cottage was once the residence of Queen Elizabeth’s nanny Marion Crawford. In recent decades, the cottages have served as accommodation for senior members of the royal family.

Prince Harry moved in around 2013 and began dating Meghan three years later. He was admittedly “embarrassed” to bring her to his home, writing in his autobiography Spare that “Nott Cott was no palace.”

“The whole thing’s on a slight lean. Really low ceilings — I don’t know who it was ever for. They must’ve been very short,” Harry joked in the 2022 docuseries Harry & Meghan.

Despite its shortcomings, Meghan frequently joined Harry there as they began dating. It was at the cottage where Harry got down on one knee to propose while they were cooking dinner one night.

Meghan moved in following their engagement, and while there were upgrades made to the property, it still was quite different than what the public imagined. Harry joked that while people thought they were living large, it was actually humble accommodations.

“As far as people were concerned, we were living in a palace — and we were, in a cottage on palace grounds,” Harry explained.

Meghan added, “Kensington Palace sounds very regal — of course, it does, it says ‘palace’ in the name, but Nottingham Cottage was a small [house] ... It was just a chapter in our lives where I don’t think anyone could believe what it was actually like behind the scenes.”

Frogmore Cottage in Windsor

In early 2019, Meghan and Harry moved to Frogmore Cottage just before the arrival of their first child, Archie. Located on the grounds of Frogmore Estate, adjacent to the 650-acre Windsor Home Park, the property was built in 1801 under the direction of Queen Charlotte.

The home was a gift from Queen Elizabeth to Harry and Meghan following their 2018 wedding.

Before moving into the residence, the property was “pretty dilapidated” and required extensive renovations, according to royal biographer Ingrid Seward. It was transformed from a former staff residence into a single-family home, a task paid for by the Sovereign Grant, the U.K. fund set aside for royals that is fueled by taxpayers.

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The major refurbishment included upgrades to Frogmore’s heating, electrical, gas and water main systems, plus a redesign of five dorm-style units into a five-bedroom residence, and took about six months to complete. The renovations reportedly cost $3 million.

The couple lived on the property full-time until early 2020, when they stepped back as senior members of the royal family and moved overseas. They later repaid the Sovereign Grant for the multi-million-dollar upgrades.

Despite the move, Meghan and Harry retained Frogmore and stayed there during visits to the U.K. That included their trips for Queen Elizabeth’s Platinum Jubilee festivities in 2022 as well as her funeral events later that year.

In early 2023, the couple was officially “requested to vacate Frogmore Cottage,” with a source telling PEOPLE that Meghan and Harry were “matter-of-fact” about the situation and did not file an appeal.

A friend’s place on Vancouver Island, British Columbia, Canada

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In late 2019, Meghan and Harry departed England with Archie to spend private family time in Canada. During that period, they briefly lived in a mansion owned by a friend of producer David Foster.

“I felt honored that I was able to help Meghan there, because I’m a Canadian, and we’re a Commonwealth country; we’re the Crown’s. It’s important to us, so I grew up with that kind of sentiment,” Foster told the Daily Mail. “I was really happy to be able to help them to find a respite just to take a little time off.”

In January 2020, the couple announced their decision to step back from royal duties and returned to Canada. They remained there until March 2020, when they headed to California.

Tyler Perry’s Mansion in Los Angeles

Upon arrival in the United States, Meghan, Harry and Archie stayed in Tyler Perry’s Beverly Hills estate while transitioning out of their senior royal roles in 2020. The Sussexes stayed in Perry’s home for a few months before purchasing their current property in Montecito. During their stay, Perry also extended the use of a security detail. Meghan later revealed that she had never even met the actor and filmmaker before moving into his Los Angeles home. During her 2021 interview with The Cut, the duchess explained that Perry got in touch when she wed Harry in 2018 to let her know he was praying for her “and that he understood what this meant, and that he could only imagine what it was like.” Perry also said he would be available for support or advice.

She took the Madea creator up on his invitation two years later when she opened up to him about her family’s stay in Canada and their uncertain future with royal life. “Sometimes, you can tell your life story to a stranger on a plane as opposed to some of the people that are closest to you,” she told The Cut.

Home in Montecito, Calif.

After stepping back from royal duties, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex eventually bought a home in Montecito. The nine-bedroom mansion was reportedly purchased for $14 million.

“The Duke and Duchess of Sussex moved into their family home in July of this year,” a rep for the couple told PEOPLE in August 2020. “They have settled into the quiet privacy of their community since their arrival and hope that this will be respected for their neighbors, as well as for them as a family.”

Although the couple has only shared glimpses of the sprawling property, which is 95 miles north of Los Angeles, it’s become a haven for the family. Looking back on the decision to buy, Meghan told The Cut in 2022 that they “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.”

The property includes gorgeous gardens, a guest house and a chicken coop nicknamed Archie’s Chick Inn, as well as a pair of palm trees that have special meaning for the couple.

“One of the first things my husband saw when we walked around the house was those two palm trees,” Meghan shared. “See how they’re connected at the bottom? He goes, ‘My love, it’s us.’ And now every day when Archie goes by us, he says, ‘Hi, Momma. Hi, Papa.’ ”

The family has opted to keep much of their home private — which is why Meghan chose to film her Netflix series, With Love, Meghan, at a rental property.

“I wanted to protect that safe haven,” she explained. “We’re a close-knit family, and I love those moments — putting Lili down for a nap, having lunch together, having sacred time together at the end of the day. Our kitchen is where Mama just cooks for the family, and with a crew of 80-plus people, that’s a lot of people to have in your house!”

Despite Harry and Meghan’s return to the U.K. in 2026, they will retain their California home. However, it is still unclear what their long-term residential plans are.

Private Getaway in Portugal

Meghan Markle/Instagram

The Sussexes are also thought to have a vacation home in Portugal, though they have never publicly confirmed reports.

In July 2026, Meghan gave an extremely rare glimpse into the family’s time spent in Portugal, sharing photos of their “summer holiday.” The Instagram carousel included images of the family playing on the beach, walking through markets and local shops and dining at neighborhood eateries.

“They love Portugal because Archie and Lilibet can simply be kids,” a source told PEOPLE at the time. “It’s always very low-key with beach days, playing and spending time together as a family.”

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