The kids’ schools are picked and the house-hunting has begun for Prince Harry and his wife Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, amid the couple’s surprise return to British soil.
After the former Suits star and the “spare” to the throne touched down in Birmingham on a private jet on August 26 for an “extended” UK stay with their family, details have emerged about what they can expect from a new life in The Cotswolds.
Indeed, it’s been reported that the Duke and Duchess have chosen the picturesque rural region of England in which to forge their new future.
Prince Archie, seven, is believed to be starting as a day boarder at a ritzy $AU48k-a-year prep school this month, while his five-year-old sister Princess Lilibet will start at the pre-prep at the same establishment.
The couple are thought to be enjoying the support of a billionaire friend during the move process – in the form of hedge fund CEO Ian Wace – and are actively eyeing up suitable properties to call home.
Meghan is reportedly after a nine-bedroom pad with a film studio, while Harry – a source told Daily Mail – wants “a lot of land”.
“A lot, and I mean a lot, of land, and no footpaths going across it to protect their privacy,” the insider claimed.
Of course, privacy is paramount for the famously security-conscious Harry, and now one Cotswolds neighbour has dished on whether they’re likely to get it once they settle into their new home.
Josie Irons, a Cotswolds-based content creator, lives in a renovated 14th-century Grade II listed former rectory with her husband Charlie – and she shared her thoughts upon discovering Meghan and Harry were going to be their “new neighbours”.
“First of all, when I first found out, I instantly thought I’m not surprised, and I will explain why. And secondly, I thought, do you know what? I’m really, really happy for them…And if I was in their shoes, I would be doing the exact same thing,” she told her 466,000 Instagram followers in a video.
Josie explained and she and her husband moved to the area six years ago and “absolutely love it”.
“It’s no secret that tons of celebrities live here, and by and large, they get to live a pretty normal life,” the influencer explained.
Those already calling The Cotswolds home include Simon Cowell, who lives in a $AU15 million Grade II listed farmhouse in the region with his fiancee Lauren Silverman and son Eric.
Other stars with homes nearby include David and Victoria Beckham, Jeremy Clarkson, Kate Moss, Ellen DeGeneres and Portia de Rossi and of course King Charles and Queen Camilla.
“I’m not going to name any names in this video, but if you see someone very globally world famous in a pub, the locals here, we just don’t bother the celebrities,” Josie revealed.
“You don’t get heckled around here, which is really, really lovely. And you know, whatever their children’s interests might be, whether that’s gardening or horse riding or just taking part in village life, they will have all of those perks here.”
When Meghan is reported to feel “nervous” about the prospect of doing the school run without adequate security, Josie revealed there was a lot about the area she would enjoy.
“It’s no secret, Meghan… loves her gardening, she loves her farm shops, and obviously for Harry, it’s fairly close to his dad at Highgrove. And Charles has obviously also chosen for his private residence to be in this really gorgeous part of the country, and I think that that proximity is probably one of the reasons that they’ve chosen this area,” she shared, adding there were some “fantastic” schools and an “incredible” community to become a part of.
“Someone actually said to me, ‘What would I do if I passed Meghan Markle while I was doing my Daylesford supermarket shop or farm shop… And honestly, I would just say to them, “Welcome to the Cotswolds. Hey, Meghan, do you want to come and do a reformer Pilates class with me?’”
Josie went on to clarify she was “just kidding”.
“Although I do think we would be very good friends,” she added. “That’s my toxic trait: thinking that I would just be friends with Meghan Markle.
“But anyway, I wish them all the best with the move. I think that they will absolutely love living here.”
It’s not the first time a neighbour of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex has spoken out – although the last to do so had a rather less positive take on the situation.
After the couple left Montecito, California, for their new life in the UK, longtime Montecito resident Robert Eringer told the Daily Mail gave details about the “general impression” locals had of the couple.
“Personally it matters not one iota to me whether they’re in Montecito or in Britain,” the author declared bluntly.
“I’m out and about in Montecito a lot and never saw them. I doubt anyone would have noticed they’d left if it hadn’t been reported in the news but, since it was, the general impression is, good riddance.”
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