Harry & Meghan secretly visited Cotswolds during last UK trip in new home search after Duchess fell in love with area

PRINCE Harry and Meghan secretly visited the ­Cotswolds to find a new home when they came to Britain last month. The Duchess of Sussex is understood to have also discreetly gone there alone while Harry was at an Invictus Games event in Birmingham. Prince Harry and Meghan secretly visited the Cotswolds last month in search of a new home, with Meghan also making a solo trip to the area Credit: Getty Harry and Meghan and their sprawling US property in Montecito Credit: BackGrid Meghan fell in love with the Cotswolds when the couple lived in a farmhouse there before their 2018 wedding. With its numerous showbiz ­residents and the exclusive Soho Farmhouse private members club, it is often dubbed “Britain’s Beverly Hills” and Meghan was always more at home there than she was in Windsor. Sign up for the Royals newsletter Thank you! During their clandestine visit last month, the couple are believed to have spent a few days staying in a private house on the Great Tew Estate — where their old farmhouse was — while they searched for a suitable property. They travelled from their base to see King Charles at Highgrove, which was seen as a further step towards reconciliation, and to Althorp house in Northamptonshire where Princess Diana is buried. READ MORE HARRY AND MEGHAN With its numerous showbiz residents and the exclusive Soho Farmhouse Club, above, the Cotswolds is often dubbed ‘Britain’s Beverly Hills’ Credit: soho farmhouse The couple are set to leave their Californian home and return to the UK Credit: Getty Harry, 42, and Meghan, 45, lived in their £2.5million grade-II listed farmhouse on four acres of land for seven months before moving into Frogmore Cottage, Windsor. In his autobiography Spare, Harry wrote about that time when Frogmore Cottage was being renovated for them: “We thought we could move into Oxfordshire full time. “We loved it out there. The air fresh, the verdant grounds plus, no paps.” They moved out when the location was leaked. Most read in Royals The Beckhams’ country house is also in the area Credit: Getty American TV legend Ellen DeGeneres, a close pal of Meghan’s, also lives in the Cotswolds with wife Portia de Rossi Credit: Getty It is understood they have now found a much more substantial property, although the location is not known, They have also secured school places for both Archie and Lilibet. The Beckhams’ country house is also in the area, as well as Soho Farmhouse — which has long been Meghan’s favourite getaway. She and her friends enjoyed five-star pampering when she held her hen party there. And she had visited the exclusive members’ club in September 2016 with friend Millie Mackintosh, who shared an online picture of them together riding bikes there on social media. Harry’s cousin Princess Beatrice and her husband Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi own a £3.5million country farmhouse in the area Credit: AFP The couple have secured school places for both Archie and Lilibet Credit: Instagram Meghan is friends with exec Markus Anderson, often referred to as the “King of Soho House”. He arranged discreet dates for her and Harry when they started going out, including at 76 Dean Street in London as well as Soho Farmhouse. American TV star Ellen Degeneres, a close pal of Meghan’s, also lives in the Cotswolds with wife Portia de Rossi. They relocated in 2024 to the countryside from the US following Donald Trump’s victory in the presidential election. During their secret visit last month, the couple are believed to have spent a few days staying in a private house on the Great Tew Estate – where their previous famhouse was Credit: Splash SECURITY IN LIMBO By Julia Atherley PRINCE Harry is still waiting for a decision over his taxpayer-funded armed police protection, it is understood. The Duke of Sussex lost his 24-hour security in 2020 when he stepped down as a senior royal and moved abroad. If reinstated, the protection could cost the taxpayer up to £5million a year. After he lost a lengthy legal challenge against the decision, The Sun revealed Harry had won a new Government review into the risks he and his family face in the UK. A new threat assessment is due to be carried out, but has been delayed as the Royal and VIP Executive Committee has paused any new evaluations from the Risk Management board for at least four months. It is understood the system is backlogged due to nine former PMs in the queue for protection. Prime Minister Andy Burnham refused to comment on whether or not the issue had been resolved, calling it a “private matter.” He said: “It’s a matter for Harry and for Meghan.” And Harry’s cousin Princess Beatrice and her husband Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi own a £3.5million farmhouse in the area. Music mogul Simon Cowell also has an £8million estate there with fiancee Lauren Silverman, and the Sussexes’ friends Beyonce and Jay-Z previously looked into building a home nearby. When the Sussexes last lived there, they were reportedly visited by a string of celeb friends including George and Amal Clooney, Serena Williams and her husband Alexis Ohanian, Priyanka Chopra and Nick Jonas. But if they decide against ­relocating to Oxfordshire, they could move nearer to or even briefly stay with Earl Spencer at Althorp House in Northamptonshire. It is where Princess Diana grew up and where she is laid to rest. Last month, the Duke of Sussex was seen leaving his mum’s ancestral home and Meghan later shared a moving image of Harry, Princess Lilibet and Prince Archie in the grounds, holding flowers. The Sun had previously revealed that Harry would take his children to see their grandmother’s grave for the first time, shortly after what would have been her 65th birthday. Meanwhile, old friends could be ready to rally round the couple as they bring Archie and Lilibet here in time for the new school year. Princess Eugenie and husband Jack Brooksbank are close friends with them. Eugenie was the first member of the Royal Family to publicly visit them in the USA. The family, who have three young children, now split their time between Kensington Palace and Portugal — close to where Harry and Meghan also own a property. The Duke of Westminster could be among the Sussex Squad to welcome Harry back. When he wed in 2024, he is believed to have been keen to invite the Sussexes but decided to avoid any Royal family drama. Known as Hughie to friends, he is godfather to the Princes Archie and George. Charlie van Straubenzee, one of Harry’s oldest childhood friends, could also be among those waiting for the Californian couple’s return. Harry’s cousin Zara and hubby Mike Tindall live at Princess Anne’s Gatcombe Park estate near Stroud in Gloucestershire. Harry is believed to have become distanced from Zara. But former rugby star Mike recently reshared a video of Harry’s appearance on a podcast on his own channel, which could be waving an olive branch in a bid to reconcile the cousins. A spokesman for the Sussexes declined to comment. 5 comments5