The Duke and Duchess of Sussex have been much-criticised for seeking high-profile commercial deals in the US. However, a new report suggests King Charles "pushed" the pair to do so after he allegedly withdrew £700,000 ($848k) promised to them by the late Queen to fund a trial year in Canada. 

The 'Sandringham Agreement' is said to have arisen from the 'Sandringham Summit,' when the Queen gathered William, Harry and Charles at her Sandringham home on 13 January 2022. A deal was reportedly struck whereby Harry and Meghan could escape royal life in the UK and "continue public service" from North America, according to a shocking new investigation by Byline Times.

However, the deal reportedly collapsed due to a royal "cash-for-leaks" scandal surrounding a key palace aide. Click or scroll on to find out more...

King Charles is said to have withdrawn the funding after Prince Harry refused to remove the name of a royal aide from legal documents accusing the aide's partner of selling stories to The Sun newspaper, according to Byline Times.

The aide in question was named as Christian Jones (pictured), who acted first as the Prince and Princess of Wales' deputy communications secretary from 2018, before being promoted to Prince William's private secretary in March 2020. According to People, when Kensington Palace hired Jones in 2018 as deputy communications secretary, he worked for William and Kate as well as Prince Harry and Meghan. 

Jones' partner reportedly received £4,000 ($4.9k) from The Sun, for stories Prince Harry allegedly believed to be about his son Archie's godparents and his childcare arrangements, as well as their 'Megxit' plans, which The Sun broke news of on 7 January 2020, one day before the royal couple announced it via Instagram.

Jones and his partner, a professional publicist, denied the accusations, saying they received the money for other stories. They were reportedly cleared by two internal palace investigations, one involving Simon Case (right), whom Jones replaced as Prince William's private secretary.

Jones lasted less than a year in the role before he quit in January 2021 to join a private equity group. Meanwhile, Case went on to become Permanent Secretary to then-Prime Minister Boris Johnson. He is now Cabinet Secretary and Head of the Home Civil Service, and while he has faced scrutiny for his role in the government's pandemic response he is currently on medical leave from the British government.

Byline Times cites a "well-placed source" who claims the removal of Harry and Meghan's funding was to avoid a "potential courtroom scandal with Jones and Wootton very publicly at the centre." Dan Wootton (left) was the executive editor of The Sun at the time of the leaks.

Jones and his partner denied being friends with Wootton, however, Byline Times published an exclusive photo of the couple at the journalist's private 35th birthday party, indicating the contrary. It also calls into question the thoroughness of Case's investigation, Byline Times alleges.

Read on to get the latest on Harry and Meghan's living arrangements...

In yet another development, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex attended a Mental Health Day festival in New York on 10 October (pictured), which is said to have stoked tensions between them. Following the visit, Harry is reportedly keen to move to the Big Apple, while Meghan is said to feel "frustrated" by the idea, according to Heat Magazine.

“Harry really wants them to move," a source told Heat. "He feels so much more at home there – the fast pace, the culture, the social scene. The truth is he desperately misses London, and being in the city helps. Plus, he could easily go home for a long weekend if they lived in New York.”

However, Meghan doesn't believe "a few more hours on the plane in first class isn’t that big of a deal," the source revealed. "Meghan’s so happy to finally be back in California – she can’t imagine leaving... It would make zero sense to move, and she’s frustrated that Harry won’t let this go.”

The couple are reportedly eyeing a move to Malibu (more on that later), but this latest development may change their plans. Meanwhile, an 'insider' told OK that, although the couple is divided on the issue, "they will soon start looking for a property of their own near London and Harry is very much leading this."

Harry's lack of a UK base has led to increasingly uncomfortable clashes between the prince and the rest of the royal family. In fact, it reached a new low in September and their inability to resolve the row may have legal consequences.

Harry was refused accommodation at Windsor while visiting London for a charity event in early September and has been instructed to give Buckingham Palace "advance notice" if he wants to stay at any royal residence in future. 

Harry reportedly expressed a wish to see King Charles during his 24-hour trip to London on 7 September, according to The Independent. However, the palace allegedly asked Harry to put in a formal request, which was denied. He refused his father's invitation to stay at Balmoral (pictured) citing a "diary clash," according to The Times. 

Harry flew to the UK to attend the WellChild Awards and it was only his second trip home since he and Meghan were evicted from Frogmore Cottage in March.

As a counsellor of state, one of seven royals who is able to act for the King when he's ill or abroad, Harry is legally required to have a UK home. Without one, he remains in murky legal territory.

An expert on constitutional law told The Times: "We are really in uncharted waters here: the Prince Harry situation is not something the law easily allows for."

In November 2022, King Charles asked parliament to make Princess Anne and Prince Edward counsellors of state. He could have chosen this time to remove Harry, as well as the disgraced Prince Andrew and even Princess Beatrice from the list, as none of them are working royals. However, Charles reportedly decided against it, not wishing to "escalate family tensions" any further.

While it's unlikely either of the problem princes would be required to step in for the king, courtiers were said to be "keen" to prevent any overlap in King Charles' recent trip to France and Prince William's New York visit. 

One way to solve the quandary is for the royal estate to lease Harry and Meghan a home at Windsor. Offering them accommodation at Kensington Palace has also been considered, according to royal sources who spoke to The Times. However, that may prove unpopular with the Prince and Princess of Wales, who have a home and office there.

The idea was vigorously denied by a spokesman for Buckingham Palace, however. Royal aides reportedly insist that temporary accommodation is "likely" to be provided to Harry for short visits, when possible and if requested. And so the legal issue rumbles on.

Although Harry and Meghan have security concerns due to being denied police protection in the UK, a friend of Harry has said that, while Meghan, "seems to have decided that coming back more is not what she wants to do," Harry would like to.

"Having a base in his home country, despite everything that has happened, is appealing." The unnamed pal goes on to reveal that the couple would have kept Frogmore Cottage if they could, as it was the "perfect setup" for them.

According to the friend, when Harry last stayed there, "he did a whole load of clearing-out, and he was sanguine about it but pretty sad.”

Despite the many difficulties Harry's UK trip presented, he was allowed to visit the late Queen's grave at Windsor on 8 September, before flying to Dusseldorf, where he was reunited with Meghan at the Invictus Games.

Read on to take a trip down memory lane and up the property ladder as we trace Harry and Meghan's homes through the years...

Prince Harry and Meghan have come a long way since they stepped down from royal duties in January 2020. They have moved to LA, set up the Archewell Foundation, signed lucrative deals with Netflix and Spotify and are parents to two gorgeous children.

So where did it all begin? Join us on a trip down memory lane and to the places they have called “home” – and the places they may yet live.

Prince Harry will have fond memories growing up in Kensington Palace. Prince Charles and Princess Diana took up residence in Apartment 8 and 9 in Kensington Palace in July 1981, with Prince William being born in 1982 and Harry arriving two years later.

Purchased by William III as a country retreat in 1689, the palace has been home to many royals, including Queen Victoria, and is the London base of the Prince and Princess of Wales.

Princess Diana turned the apartments into a family home, with the help of interior designer Dudley Poplak. Diana converted the entire top floor into a playroom and two bedrooms, kitted out by luxury children’s design company Dragons.

It was here, in Kensington Palace, that she gave her famous post-separation interview to Panorama's Martin Bashir, and planned the New York auction of her dresses just three months before she died. 

Kensington Palace was a playground to the toddler prince, who loved to tear around the Sunken Garden, throwing stones and feeding the fish, as revealed by a former royal estate manager in Channel 5 documentary Kensington Palace: Behind Closed Doors.

A favourite with his mother Princess Diana, the Sunken Garden held a special place in the heart of Prince Harry and he later chose it as a backdrop when announcing his engagement to Meghan in 2017. He joined his brother Prince William here in July 2021 to unveil a statue celebrating their mother’s legacy.

Charles and Diana split their time between Kensington Palace and their country estate, Highgrove House. Prince Charles bought the Gloucestershire country home in 1980 – the year before he married Diana – and the couple used it as a weekend country retreat.

Princes William and Harry also spent much of their childhoods here, and family snapshots show the pair riding a Shetland pony around the grounds, led by their mother (who apparently wasn’t a fan of the nine-bedroom property).

Surrounded by countryside and landscaped gardens, Highgrove House was an exciting place for the young princes, seen here with their parents in the meadow by the house.

The estate represented the innocence of childhood, before the Princes became aware of living in the constant glare of the media. While the house now belongs to the new Prince of Wales, it is thought the King will continue to use this much loved property.

Prince Harry’s childhood was cut short soon after this photograph was taken during a summer holiday in Balmoral in 1997, when he was told his mother Princess Diana had died in a car crash in Paris, having been pursued by paparazzi photographers. Unable to deal with her death, the prince struggled through his teenage years and was dubbed the ‘Party Prince’.

He went on to date billionaire's daughter Chelsy Davy on-and-off for seven years, having met her in Zimbabwe in 2004 during a gap year between finishing his studies at Eton and starting at Sandhurst.

He eventually found solace in the army, spending 10 years in the armed forces and becoming the first royal in more than 25 years to serve in a war zone. When he announced he would be leaving the army in 2015, according to the BBC, the prince said his time in the military would "stay with me for the rest of my life". This is reflected in his charity work, which includes his founding and chairing of the Invictus Games.

Rachel Meghan Markle enjoyed a far more modest upbringing than her husband. Born on 4 August 1981, and pictured here aged 11 (an image from a video shared on the Duke and Duchess of Sussex’s official Instagram account), Meghan lived in a two-bedroom property in the Woodland Hills area of LA with her parents Thomas Markle, a TV lighting director, and Doria Ragland, a clinical therapist and yoga instructor, until her parents separated when she was two.

After her parents divorced when she was six, Meghan mainly lived with her mother Doria in a top-floor apartment on South Cloverdale Avenue, Mid-Wilshire.

The flat was, according to Hello, once the garage and loft space for the main property, but is now estimated to be worth around $1.2 million (£990k) according to Zillow, no doubt in part as a result of the Meghan and Harry connection.

Although modest, the apartment was light and airy and Meghan recalls spending a happy childhood here, as well as at her father's apartment behind the Sunset strip, until she left for college in 1999.

“What’s so incredible is that my parents split up when I was two, [but] I never saw them fight," she told Vanity Fair in 2017. "We would still take vacations together. We were still so close-knit.”

An award-winning lighting director, Thomas Markle would often bring Meghan on set, giving her an insight into the entertainment business. After gaining a bachelor's degree in Theatre and International Studies at Illinois's Northwestern University, she moved back to Los Angeles and secured her first TV role in General Hospital, making other appearances in CSI:NY and 90210. Her big break would come in 2011, when she landed the role of Rachel Zane in Suits.

In 2011, Meghan married her first husband, Trevor Engelson, an American film producer. While the pair split two years later, this Colonial-style property, in the Hancock Park neighbourhood of Los Angeles, was their marital home together. The impressive mansion, which the couple rented, was Meghan's base when she wasn't filming the TV series Suits in Toronto, Canada.

With its expansive open-plan living areas and every luxury an up-and-coming Hollywood star could ask for, it was a step up from the homes she lived in through her childhood. Meghan moved out following the couple’s break-up in 2013, but there were bigger and better things in store for her.

Meghan spent seven months of the year filming Suits, during which she lived in this discreet modern townhouse in the cool Toronto neighbourhood of Seaton Village. After meeting Prince Harry in July 2016, he also spent time at the home when visiting Meghan in Canada.

The property had a detached garage with a back exit to a private lane, which proved handy for avoiding the media when Harry was staying.

One of the most revealing details in the Netflix docuseries Harry & Meghan is that the couple actually met on Instagram, when Harry came across a snap of Meghan with a dog filter through a mutual friend. Harry asked to be connected and after checking out each other’s respective Instagram feeds, they exchanged numbers the following day. A classic tale of boy-meets-girl for the digital age.

The couple also revealed that they enjoyed their first ever date at the fashionable private members club, Soho House, on 76 Dean Street, in central London, during the documentary.

The converted Grade ll listed townhouse boasts several cosy corners, including the Library Bar seen here, with its patterned chairs and kilim rugs, where the couple would have been able to get to know one another away from prying eyes.

The laid-back vibe of the club, which boasts a screening room, various bars and drawing rooms, is a popular haunt for well-known individuals looking for a discreet corner to meet.

Meghan would usually travel to London to meet the Prince for obvious reasons and the couple revealed in the docuseries they had one last night of freedom at a Halloween party in London before news of their relationship broke in October 2016.

Before she deleted her Instagram account and closed down her lifestyle blog The Tig, in preparation for becoming a royal, Meghan regularly documented her interiors style, showing off her taste in art and blooms, and her two beloved pooches, Guy and Bogart.

It is easy to imagine her and Prince Harry relaxing and getting to know each other better in this cosy space before they embarked on the next step of their journey together.   

Known as "Nott Cott", Nottingham Cottage holds happy memories for Prince Harry and Meghan. Not only was it their first home together, but the Christopher Wren-designed cottage was also where the prince famously proposed over a roast chicken in November 2017.

The cottage was originally a grace-and-favour property for the late Queen and Princess Margaret's childhood governess Marion Crawford, but served as a bachelor pad for Prince Harry from 2013, until Meghan joined him in 2017. 

The couple announced their engagement in the Sunken Garden in the nearby landscaped grounds of Kensington Palace, a favourite spot of Princess Diana. 

The pair had already been spending plenty of time at the palace estate, and Meghan was reported to have added her own personal touches to the two-bedroom cottage they shared, including items from the Soho Home’s Country House collection.

The couple gave a glimpse inside Nottingham Cottage during their engagement interview with the BBC’s Mishal Husain. The cream sofa fit the calming neutral colour scheme of the home, as did the white-panelled wall in the background and the lavish gold lamp.

During the interview Prince Harry revealed: “The fact that I fell in love with Meghan so incredibly quickly was a sort of confirmation to me that everything, all the stars were aligned.”

On 19th May 2018, Meghan Markle and Prince Harry were married in St George's Chapel at Windsor Castle, where they were given the titles of Duke and Duchess of Sussex.

The newly married couple had the ultimate royal wedding venue, with pictures taken in the beautiful Green Drawing Room and two receptions in St George's Hall and the Frogmore Estate.

The Georgian-style Frogmore House, in Windsor Castle's Home Park, proved a magical location for the couple’s evening reception for 200 guests – and after two years of closure, the venue opened to the public again in August 2022.

A royal residence since 1792, its name derives from the abundance of frogs that inhabit the marshland around the grounds. It is also home to the royal Mausoleum, where Queen Victoria and Prince Albert are buried.

The couple chose the grounds of Frogmore House and a $75,000 (£62.9k) dress by Ralph & Russo, for their engagement photographs, which were taken by fashion photographer, Alexi Lubomirski, in December 2017.

Frogmore House is also where Harry’s cousin, Peter Phillips, son of the late Queen’s daughter, Princess Anne, held his wedding reception in 2008, and where the Queen Mother spent part of her honeymoon in 1923.

Frogmore Cottage, on the Windsor estate, was gifted to the couple by the late Queen when they married in 2018 – but was loaned to Prince Harry’s cousin Princess Eugenie, her husband Jack Brooksbank and their 15-month-old August Philip when Harry and Meghan stepped down from their royal duties.

The Prince stayed at the property when he returned to the UK to attend his grandfather Prince Philip’s funeral in April 2021, and when he and Meghan returned for the Platinum Jubilee celebrations in June 2022.

The historic Grade II-listed house on the Frogmore Estate was originally a retreat for Queen Charlotte and her unmarried daughters. Home to many royals over the centuries and later divided into five properties, it was converted back into a large family home for Meghan and Harry at a reported cost of $2.4 million (£2m) in 2019, an amount the couple has since repaid.

Originally a 10-bedroom home, the couple reportedly reduced the number to five during their renovations, possibly to add ensuite bathrooms. It also now includes two orangeries, a vegetable garden and a yoga studio. They hired Soho Farmhouse designer Vicky Charles of Charles & Co. to revamp the interior. It is no longer the couple's official UK residence, but more on that later...

A stone's throw from Frogmore Cottage, Windsor Castle was where the couple first introduced their newborn son to the media. Archie Harrison Mountbatten-Windsor was born on 6th May 2019, and was shown off to the waiting world just two days later in St George's Hall, the location of Meghan and Harry's wedding reception.

In late November 2019, the family spent six weeks in Canada for an extended Christmas break, following their tour of South Africa. They soaked up the beauty of Vancouver Island in this $14 million (£11.6m) holiday home.

The impressive waterfront mansion in North Saanich, owned by a mystery multimillionaire, is located in one of the most picturesque parts of the large isle.

The four-acre luxury gated property has its own stunning summer house and several acres of gorgeous gardens, so we can see why the couple chose this as their home for the holidays. To top it off, the amazing Canadian mansion overlooks the tranquil water below, making it the perfect scenic escape from their hectic royal lives.

Deciding not to head home for Christmas with the Queen and the rest of the royal family, the couple released this image of Harry and Archie spending time together on a stunning lakefront in Canada on their official Sussex Royal Instagram account.

In January 2020, they announced they were stepping back as senior royals to become financially independent, revealing their plans to split their time between the UK and North America.

After their last official day as working royals on 31 March 2020, it was reported that the couple had relocated to Los Angeles. They decided to stay in a huge compound owned by actor and producer Tyler Perry, who they reportedly met through mutual friend Oprah.

Tucked away in the Beverly Hills Post Office area of Los Angeles, the luxury mansion sits in the gated community of Beverly Ridge Estates.

Spanning just under 25,000 square feet, the eight-bedroom, 12-bathroom residence, which was custom-built for Perry, was the perfect place to stay while the couple hunted for a more permanent home. Meghan can be seen here reading Archie a story in one of the property's many gorgeous living areas. Just a few months later, they found their current house, where they will raise Archie and Lili.

In May 2020, the couple decided to put up screens around the mansion, after realising hikers could see into their home. The popular hiking route had reopened after Los Angeles' coronavirus restrictions were eased.

Like many celebrities in lockdown, the couple's philanthropic projects had to take place online instead. Harry is pictured here in their rental home addressing a virtual global summit for his sustainable tourism project, Travalyst.

Prince Harry and Meghan purchased their current home, Château of Riven Rock, for $14.7 million (£12.1m) in July 2020. Nestled in the heart of Montecito in California's Santa Barbara County, public documents reveal that the couple secured a $9.5 million (£7.8m) mortgage for the estate.

Its previous owner, Russian businessman Sergey Grishin, suffered a loss of more than $10 million (£8.3m) on the sale, having bought the house in 2009 for $25.3 million (£20.9m).

On Valentine’s Day 2021, the couple released this black and white photograph of themselves – taken within the lush gardens of the French-style mansion – to announce they were expecting their second child.

It was taken remotely by photographer and good friend Misan Harriman, and their newest addition was born on 4 June 2021. She was named Lilibet, which was a family nickname for the Queen, in honour of her great-grandmother.

Built in 2003, the amazing American estate offers a grand total of nine bedrooms and 16 bathrooms. The country-style master suite features a wooden-beamed ceiling, an ensuite bathroom and access to a private balcony with an ivy-covered pergola. Jam-packed with the most luxurious amenities, the home includes a library, gym, sauna, home cinema and lift, as well as well as a children’s cottage and playground area. 

Giving a glimpse into the couple's home life, in May 2021 Prince Harry released a trailer for his series The Me You Can't See, which sees him filming his own therapy sessions and chatting with their good friend, Oprah Winfrey.

Meghan appears briefly alongside her husband in a corner of their shared home office, which reveals only panelled walls, black-framed windows and part of the huge stone fireplace. 

Meghan revealed a further glimpse of her home when she released a video announcing a new initiative on the Archewell website, around the time of her 40th birthday in August 2021. Sitting in her office in front of a gorgeous stone fireplace and a large wooden desk, her stylish taste is evident in the neutral tones and choice of natural materials. 

The incredible backyard features a tiered rose garden, an alfresco terrace and a large swimming pool, flanked by picturesque olive trees and Italian cypress trees. A full-size tennis court and a detached guesthouse are also found across the estate, ideal for hosting family and friends. 

A stone's throw from the ocean and a two-hour drive from downtown Los Angeles, the laid-back neighbourhood is also home to Oprah Winfrey and Ellen DeGeneres, who are friends of the couple. 

Prince Harry and Meghan rocked the royal family to its core when they granted a tell-all interview to Montecito neighbour, Oprah, at her home in March 2021. The couple laid bare their rift with The Firm and accused an unnamed member of the Royal Family of racism, suggesting the relative had asked "how dark" their son would be.

They also revealed the Palace had failed to support a deeply unhappy Meghan. Prince William defended the royals, responding “we’re very much not a racist family.” 

The Queen issued a short statement, declaring the issues raised to be "concerning" and said that, although "some recollections may vary" they were being taken very seriously and "will be addressed by the family privately."

There was much speculation surrounding the couple’s return to Britain for the late Queen’s Platinum Jubilee celebrations. The pair kept a low profile but attended the service of thanksgiving for the 70-year reign of Queen Elizabeth II at St Paul's Cathedral.

It was hoped their problem-free visit would pave the way for more understanding between the Prince and his family in the future.

Central to their visit was to introduce their daughter Lilibet to the late Queen, in whose honour she was named. Lilibet is said to have met her great-grandmother at a special lunch. The couple released a charming shot of Lili on their Instagram to mark her first birthday, which was celebrated at Frogmore Cottage.

Privacy and security have long been issues for the couple. After the couple stepped back from Royal duties in 2020, the decision was made by the Home Office to remove police protection for the prince and his family when they visit the UK.

Harry requested he be allowed to pay for police protection, and won a bid to bring a High Court challenge against the Home Office. He lost the initial case after the court ruled it would set an unwanted precedent to allow millionaires to fund their own police protection.

Harry appealed the decision and the case continues.

The Prince raises his security concerns in the Netflix docuseries, where he claims he and Meghan were victims of “institutional gaslighting”, suggesting ‘people’ were happy to protect his brother but not him. Meghan adds, “Our security was being pulled, everyone in the world knew where we were,” although former private secretary to the late Queen, Dickie Arbiter, told The Mirror, their security was taken away because they were moving to America.

The couple’s security at home is also challenging, as police were alerted to two intruder scares at Harry and Meghan’s Montecito home during a 12-day period in May 2022, The Sun reported.

The couple and their two children were believed to be at home when the alarms were triggered. Police records show there have been six security alert calls to their US home in a 14-month period, with both May 2002 calls logged as “trespasser”, “property crimes” and “suspicious circumstances”. 

Just days after Prince Harry returned to California after the coronation, a man was arrested for loitering outside of their California home around 2am on 15 May 2023, The Mirror reported. Kevin Garcia Valdovinos, 29, from Lake Elsinore, was spotted by the royal couple’s security team and was promptly apprehended and taken into custody on charges of stalking.

Valdovinos was later released on $2,500 (£2.1k) bail. It is not known whether Harry or Meghan were at home at the time of the offence.

Luckily, the couple's estate is protected by an array of security measures and Forbes reports that their annual security bill could hit an eye-watering $3 million (£2.5m).

On the 8 December 2022, the highly anticipated Netflix documentary Harry & Meghan was finally released, giving the couple the chance to tell 'their' version of their story. The six-episode series goes behind the scenes with the royal pair, featuring intimate family footage, clips from Harry and Meghan's personal video diaries, and interviews with the couple. 

The Netflix series gives viewers an intimate glance into the home and private lives of these renegade royals, featuring beautiful shots of the young family enjoying life in their Montecito mansion.

Whether viewers empathise with Harry and Meghan's bid for freedom or are disappointed by their potentially publicity-seeking choices, many agree that the southern California retreat is a gorgeous escape. 

The show may have widened the existing rift between Harry and King Charles. The doc includes interviews with the couple and their friends, as well as unseen footage covering a range of topics, from their difficult relationship with the media to the Royal Family’s handling of press articles about Meghan.

The first episode was, according to the BBC, seen by 2.4 million people on its launch day in the UK alone, more than doubling the first-day figure for the latest series of The Crown. Viewers would be forgiven for thinking the swanky backdrop to the couple’s sit-down interview was their own Montecito house, but they'd be wrong...

The interviews were actually filmed inside this magnificent mansion, which lies close to the couple's family home. It was put up for sale in August 2021 for a cool $33.5 million (£27.7m), that's three times the value of the $11 million (£9m) home the couple bought in 2020. 

Perhaps due to the property's scale and price tag, it was on the market for almost two years before it was mysteriously removed from sale in May 2023. It may be that the current owners have decided to stay put, unwilling to budge on the extraordinary asking price. 

The perfect setting for a very exclusive interview, the property is extremely private and its interior is chic and calming, thanks to neutral tones and a blend of modern and traditional elements. In fact, it isn't dissimilar to the stylish interiors of the couple’s Montecito home, which Meghan described as ‘healing’ when speaking to The Cut. 

The docuseries received the highest viewing figures of any Netflix show in 2022. It was greeted by mixed reviews, but did not cause as much of a stir as Prince Harry’s memoir, Spare, which was released in January 2023 and included bombshell revelations, including the details of a physical fight that allegedly took place between William and Harry at Nottingham Cottage, Harry's former home in the grounds of Kensington Palace.

In July 2023, Harry and Meghan were said to be considering a move from Montecito to Malibu. The potential relocation is allegedly due to Meghan's desire to revive her acting career, The Week reported. 

"Harry and Meghan are reviewing their living options with Malibu being a place of interest," a source told The Mirror. “They have secretly visited the area a couple of times and have been out and about, looking at what’s there."

The upmarket coastal neighbourhood is brimming with famous faces for the couple to befriend, including Leonardo DiCaprio, Pierce Brosnan, Lady Gaga and Simon Cowell. The area's desirable schools may also be a draw, with Archie turning five in 2024. In September, the claims were denied by a representative of the pair.

However, if the couple do decide to relocate, they shouldn't necessarily expect a warm welcome. Residents of Hope Ranch were said to be concerned after it was reported in October 2022 that Meghan and Harry were interested in a private estate in the wealthy Santa Barbara enclave.

One local realtor told the New York Post that they were still fielding calls from panicked residents worried the couple and their security detail would disrupt the quiet beachside community. 

“People are not happy, that’s the word around town. They want them to stay in Montecito and not be drawing that kind of attention to Hope Ranch,” another realtor told The Post. 

Before the Sussexes worry too much about how they'll be received by future neighbours, they may want to consider how they're viewed by their current community. In July 2023, the Independent reported that the Duke and Duchess snubbed their 88-year-old neighbour, Frank McGinity.

The US Navy veteran, who lives "a tiara's toss or two" from the royal couple, took the couple some films he'd made about the local area, but was turned away by a security guard who said they 'weren't interested'.

"I have a big house next to Harry and Meghan’s property and I live in the guest house while renting the main house out on Airbnb," McGinity said, according to The Montecito Journal. "We don’t see them very much around here. It’s surprising they came here. People are typically older. It’s where the elephants come to die."

As previously reported, in March 2023, it was revealed that Prince Harry and Meghan had been "evicted" from Frogmore Cottage, their only official British base. A spokesperson for the royal couple confirmed that the pair were "stunned" to have been “asked to vacate” the property, which had been gifted to them by the late Queen.

The request came after the pair’s controversial criticism of the royal family, as well as the release of Harry’s autobiography, Spare, in which he openly condemns his father, brother and step-mother, creating a rift between the couple and senior members of the British monarchy. 

While some royal insiders believe it's "very possible" the pair will move back to the UK in the future, it's highly unlikely they'll be allowed to move back into Frogmore. With Harry and Meghan out of the way, the keys to the cottage have reportedly been offered to Prince Andrew, who is “resisting” the move. Andrew currently occupies the nearby 30-room Royal Lodge in Windsor Great Park, Berkshire.

In June 2023, Spotify confirmed it was not renewing Meghan's Archetypes podcast, which ran for just 12 episodes from August 2022. While Meghan and Harry released a statement saying they had "mutually agreed to part ways," the loss of the contract – said to be worth $25 million (£20.6m) – will no doubt be a blow to the pair, who privately fund their lifestyle since stepping down from royal duties in 2020. 

Meghan interviewed stars including Mariah Carey, Serena Williams and Mindy Kaling for Archetypes and in December 2020, it won the top podcast award at the People's Choice Award in Los Angeles.

Just days after Spotify ended the lucrative deal, Meghan was accused of "faking" interviews for the podcast. Podnews reported that "multiple industry sources" claimed the Duchess had sent members of her staff to interview some guests, with Meghan's questions edited in later.

Shortly afterwards, Spotify's Head of Podcast Innovation and Monetisation, Bill Simmons, branded the Sussexes "grifters" in an expletive-laden rant on his own podcast. 

“I gotta get drunk one night and tell the story of the Zoom I had with Harry to try and help him with a podcast idea. It’s one of my best stories,” he added. Simmons had previously labelled the company's association with the couple "embarrassing," saying "he just whines... and keeps giving interviews... Who cares about your life? You weren't even the favourite son..."

On top of this, the couple's application to patent and trademark the word 'Archetypes' for their business was rejected, the Daily Mail reported. 
 

The loss of the Spotify deal may leave Meghan with more free time to revive her passion project – the lifestyle blog she set aside when she joined the royal family. Documents filed with the US Patent and Trademark Office indicate that a relaunched version of The Tig could host articles and interviews on food, fashion, interior design, personal relationships, conscious living, health and wellness, according to the New York Post.

Unnamed sources reportedly told The Mirror that Meghan hopes to emulate the success of Gwyneth Paltrow's Goop. On her original blog, Meghan wrote that The Tig was a hub for the "discerning palate" – those with a hunger for food, travel, fashion and beauty.

"I wanted to create a space to share all of these loves, to invite friends to share theirs as well, and to be the breeding ground for ideas & excitement – for an inspired lifestyle. This is The Tig, and this is just the beginning."

Reports have surfaced linking Meghan to a lead role opposite Kevin Costner in a sequel to The Bodyguard. Originally starring Whitney Huston, the 1990 box office hit nearly spawned a spin-off starring Princess Diana, but the project was shelved after she died. 

As Meghan reportedly sets her sights on becoming a "Hollywood power player," it seems her roomy Montecito house doesn't quite cut it as a home office. According to the Daily Record, it's claimed that the former actress (pictured here in the NBC show Suits), is currently working from a Los Angeles hotel suite just a stone's throw from the Beverly Hills offices of William Morris Endeavour, the talent agency that represents her. 

Wherever they choose to settle and with no indication of the rift between the Sussexes and the rest of the royal family healing any time soon, we can only guess how things will continue to play out for the pair. 

Will they ever return to the UK? Or will Malibu – or even New York – become their forever home? The controversial couple seems capable of almost anything, so let's wait and see...

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