Where Does the Royal Family Actually Live?

Following their engagement announcement in 2017, the former Suits star moved into Prince Harry’s home, Nottingham Cottage at Kensington Palace. The Duke and Duchess of Sussex remained in the 1,300-square-foot two-bedroom home (once inhabited by William and Kate) until shortly before the 2019 birth of their son, Archie. When it came time to relocate, the pair decided to head back to the site of their wedding, Windsor Castle, and live on the grounds’ Frogmore Cottage. The home, which was a wedding gift from the queen, wasn’t quite ready for the family of three, and turning the five-unit property into a single-family house required a renovation that cost more than $3 million. According to The Cut, the cottage, originally constructed in the 1800s, now has 10 bedrooms, a nursery, a gym, and a yoga studio. While the renovation was paid for with public funds, the couple purchased their own furniture and decor out of pocket. As they waited for the renovations to be complete, the pair also reportedly rented a temporary home on the Great Tew Estate in the Cotswolds.

Then, in early 2020, Harry and Meghan made the shocking decision to step back as senior royal members and move across the pond. After a brief stint in Canada and then Los Angeles, the pair—who are also parents to daughter Lilibet “Lili” Diana—ultimately settled in a $14.7 million estate in the upscale enclave of Montecito, California. The couple paid back the $3 million spent to renovate Frogmore Cottage, though they are still able to use the home when they visit the U.K. (In fact, they returned for the first time in June, when they returned to celebrate the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee, and hosted a first birthday party for Lilibet in the garden.) 

As the couple has navigated post-royal life—doing various charity initiatives, signing a deal with Netflix, and Meghan launching a new podcast—the public has gotten small glimpses of their Montecito home, where the decor is a far cry from the gilded furnishings of most of the palaces. During their bombshell interview with Oprah Winfrey in March of 2021, they showed off their backyard chicken coop. Months later, in a video for a charitable initiative announced around Meghan’s 40th birthday, the Duchess showed off her California cool office, accessorized with crystals and white roses. 

King Charles III and the Queen Consort, Camilla