Though Meghan Markle and Prince Harry were both raised as city kids—she in Los Angeles and he halfway across the globe in London—that’s an experience they reportedly aren’t planning on giving to their own children. This week, shortly after the Duke and Duchess of Sussex announced that they’re expecting their first child sometime in the spring, a “palace source” told Us Weekly that the two are hoping to raise that royal baby far away from the hustle and bustle of London.
The source said that Markle and Prince Harry will likely be laying down their growing family’s roots in the Cotswolds, about two hours outside of the city, where they’ve recently been renting a $5.4 million country home. “No one bothers them there,” the insider said. “They’re excited to raise children in the country.”
Markle and Prince Harry reportedly signed a two-year lease on that Cotswolds home back in May, not long after they tied the knot at St. George’s Chapel at Windsor Castle. The property, known as WestfieldLarge, is located on the Great Tew Estate—coincidentally, the same 4,000-acre grounds upon which Soho House’s rustic clubhouse, Soho Farmhouse, is found, as well as David and Victoria Beckham’s own countryside estate.
The two are also proud owners of the historic Adelaide Cottage inside Windsor Castle’s walls, which Queen Elizabeth II reportedly offered to them as a wedding gift over the summer. The “cottage” sits on a sprawling piece of land and dates back to 1831, though it underwent renovations as recently as 2015.
And if the newlyweds simply must stay in the city, they’re all set there, too. Back in November, Markle moved into the modest Nottingham Cottage on the Kensington Palace grounds, where Prince Harry has lived for several years. Whether they retain that house or move into the nearby Apartment 1, as has been previously reported, they’ll be close to Prince William and Kate Middleton.
