he Duke and Duchess of Sussex reside on a sprawling estate in Montecito with their two children, Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet, but when Prince Harry first met Suits actress Meghan Markle, he was living in a surprisingly small cottage, despite being a member of the royal family.
Harry grew up inside the walls of Kensington Palace, but his bachelor pad within the grounds was a little more low-key. He detailed the moment he showed his then-girlfriend around Nottingham Cottage in his memoir Spare, and he even admitted to being “embarrassed” about it.
“I was excited to welcome Meg to my home but also embarrassed: Nott Cott was no palace. Nott Cott was palace adjacent – that was the best you could say for it. I watched her as she walked up the front path, through the white picket fence. To my relief she made no sign of dismay, gave no indication of disillusionment.
“Until she got inside. Then she said something about a frat house. I glanced around. She wasn’t far off. Union Jack in the corner. (The one I’d waved at the North Pole.) Old rifle on the TV stand. (A gift from Oman, after an official visit.) Xbox console. Just a place to keep my stuff, I explained, moving around some papers and clothes. I’m not here much.
“The rooms were tiny, and the ceilings were doll’s house low. I gave her a quick tour, which took thirty seconds. Mind your head! I’d never noticed until then just how shabby the furniture was.” A far cry from Meghan’s Instagram-worthy pad in Toronto, where she was based for filming Suits.
“Until she got inside. Then she said something about a frat house. I glanced around. She wasn’t far off. Union Jack in the corner. (The one I’d waved at the North Pole.) Old rifle on the TV stand. (A gift from Oman, after an official visit.) Xbox console. Just a place to keep my stuff, I explained, moving around some papers and clothes. I’m not here much.
“The rooms were tiny, and the ceilings were doll’s house low. I gave her a quick tour, which took thirty seconds. Mind your head! I’d never noticed until then just how shabby the furniture was.” A far cry from Meghan’s Instagram-worthy pad in Toronto, where she was based for filming Suits.
Harry and Meghan’s first home
Since Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s docuseries on Netflix, we’ve seen glimpses inside the property, including the low ceilings and cosy rooms. One snap shared on their show was of Harry with one of Meghan’s dogs on the sofa of their small living space. There were two light-coloured sofas positioned close together and they were dressed with cushions and throws and the lamp in the corner of the room gave it an inviting feel. The couple chose to add pictures to their walls, including a photo of a young Prince Harry.
The Sussexes admitted that friend Oprah Winfrey was surprised at their living quarters when she came for tea one day. “Oprah came over for tea, didn’t she?” said Harry to Meghan. “When she came over, she sat down, she said, ‘No one would ever believe it’,” presumably referring to the bijou size of the place.
