Meghan Markle’s Reported UK Home Wish List Revealed as Sussexes Search for a Permanent Base After Returning to Britain

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have only just begun their extended stay in Britain, but attention is already shifting from their dramatic return to a more practical question: where will the Sussex family ultimately call home?

Fresh reports suggest the couple have yet to secure a permanent British property and are searching for a country residence that meets a remarkably specific set of requirements. Meghan reportedly wants nine bedrooms and space for a film studio, while Harry is said to be focused on extensive grounds, privacy and an outdoor lifestyle for Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet.

The claims offer an intriguing glimpse at how Harry and Meghan may be attempting to recreate some of the privacy and space they enjoyed in California without simply reproducing their Montecito life in England.

For now, however, one important detail remains clear: despite reports linking them to multimillion-pound properties, no purchase has been publicly confirmed.

Nine Bedrooms and a Film Studio Reportedly Top Meghan’s List

According to reports cited by both the Daily Mail and New York Post, Meghan has a particularly detailed vision for the family’s eventual British residence.

At the top of her reported wish list are nine bedrooms — notably the same number attributed to the couple’s sprawling Montecito property — as well as a dedicated film studio.

The latter would have obvious practical value as Meghan continues expanding her professional interests.

Her lifestyle brand As ever remains a major focus, while her television and entertainment work is also developing. PEOPLE reported on August 31 that Meghan and Harry had been discussing the possibility of her returning to acting even before she entered talks for a potential role in Guy Ritchie’s Netflix series The Gentlemen.

No deal for that acting role has been announced.

The reported studio at home could also potentially provide Meghan with a controlled environment for producing lifestyle and promotional content, although the suggestion that she intends to build such a facility remains based on unnamed-source reporting rather than confirmation from the Sussexes.

Harry’s Priority Is Reportedly Land — and Plenty of Privacy

Harry’s reported requirements appear somewhat different.

Rather than concentrating primarily on the interior of the property, the Duke of Sussex is said to want substantial acreage around the house.

One source characterized his preference as wanting “a lot” of land without public footpaths crossing the property, allowing the family greater privacy.

That requirement would be understandable given Harry’s long-standing concerns about security and media intrusion.

It could also reflect what sources have described as his hopes for Archie, 7, and Lilibet, 5, as they begin a dramatically different chapter of their childhood.

The children are enrolled in school in Britain and are due to begin classes in September. PEOPLE previously reported that Harry has shown particular interest in British schools, community and giving his children stronger connections to the country and family history in which he grew up.

For Harry, therefore, the search may be about more than finding a sufficiently large house.

A private country estate with room for the children to spend significant time outdoors could fit the kind of upbringing he reportedly wants them to experience during the family’s stay in Britain.

The Sussexes Have Not Yet Bought Their British Home

Despite speculation that Harry and Meghan had already secured an expensive country property, multiple reports indicate the search is still ongoing.

The New York Post reported that three sources disputed claims that a roughly $16.2 million property had already been finalized. Instead, the Sussexes are reportedly staying at a friend’s estate near the Cotswolds while searching for their own residence.

PEOPLE has similarly reported that the couple had not purchased their new British home when their relocation plans became public.

The family intends to establish a private, non-royal base in Britain, with the exact location deliberately kept confidential.

That distinction is significant.

Harry and Meghan are returning to Britain as private members of the Royal Family, not as working royals. King Charles has reportedly made clear that their return does not alter the arrangement established when the couple stepped back from official royal duties in 2020.

Their next home will therefore be a privately arranged family residence rather than another royal property such as Frogmore Cottage.

Frogmore Cottage Is No Longer an Option

Harry and Meghan previously used Frogmore Cottage near Windsor Castle as their principal British home.

The property became their residence in 2019, shortly before Archie’s birth, but the family spent relatively little time there before moving first to Canada and then California following their withdrawal from working royal life.

Frogmore remained available to the Sussexes during later visits to Britain, but they were asked to vacate the property in 2023 and had removed their remaining possessions by that June.

Their return in 2026 therefore requires an entirely new arrangement.

Unlike Frogmore, which was situated within the Windsor estate, the home Harry and Meghan are now seeking would reportedly emphasize independence, privacy and substantial outdoor space.

Will They Really Keep Three Homes?

Another intriguing question surrounding the property search concerns the Sussexes’ growing international real-estate footprint.

Despite their return to Britain, PEOPLE reports that Harry and Meghan are retaining their Montecito residence. They also plan to keep their vacation property in Portugal.

If they purchase another substantial property in Britain, they could therefore maintain homes in three countries.

That prospect has inevitably fueled speculation about whether Montecito could eventually be sold.

The New York Post reported that people within the Santa Barbara luxury-property market have heard speculation about a possible sale, with one broker expressing a belief that discussions or private showings could already be happening. But no sale has been confirmed, and those comments represent market speculation rather than evidence that the Sussexes have formally listed the property.

More authoritative reporting currently points in the opposite direction.

PEOPLE has repeatedly stated that the Sussexes intend to retain Montecito, and sources have emphasized that the family’s British stay should not necessarily be interpreted as permanent.

Even Meghan and Harry’s rescue chickens are remaining at the California property while the family is in Britain.

Britain Is a New Base — Not a Return to Their Old Royal Life

Perhaps the biggest misconception surrounding the Sussexes’ return is that it represents a reversal of their 2020 departure.

So far, the evidence suggests something more complicated.

Harry and Meghan are establishing a home in Britain and enrolling their children in school there, but they are not resuming royal duties. They are also maintaining their properties and professional connections outside the U.K.

For Meghan in particular, the circumstances are dramatically different from those she left behind six years ago.

She returns with her own businesses, entertainment projects, staff and professional identity rather than operating inside the royal institution. Sources close to the Duchess have emphasized that she now has considerably more control over her life and work than she did during her years as a working royal.

A home containing its own production space would fit naturally into that new reality if the reports about her property requirements prove accurate.

Harry’s Search May Reveal More About Why He Came Home

The reported details of the Sussex house hunt are eye-catching: nine bedrooms, a potential film studio, a substantial budget and enough land to shield the family from unwanted attention.

Yet Harry’s priorities may reveal something deeper about the move.

Sources close to him have said he never completely stopped missing Britain during his six years in America. His interest in returning reportedly grew as Archie and Lilibet became school-age, with Harry increasingly thinking about community, family connections and giving his children experience of the country that shaped his own childhood.

His work is also pulling him back toward Britain, including his continuing charitable commitments and preparations for the 2027 Invictus Games in Birmingham.

The property he reportedly wants — secluded, spacious and surrounded by land — could therefore represent an attempt to combine two very different priorities.

Harry appears to want the connection to Britain he has missed while preserving the privacy and independence his family gained after leaving royal life.

A Very Different Sussex Home

The couple’s house hunt remains just that: a search.

No nine-bedroom estate has been confirmed. No multimillion-pound purchase has been completed publicly. And neither Harry nor Meghan has personally confirmed the detailed wish list attributed to them.

What is confirmed is that their family has returned to Britain for an extended period, Archie and Lilibet will attend school there, and Harry and Meghan intend to establish a private home base while retaining significant ties to California and Portugal.

If the reports surrounding their property search are accurate, however, their vision is beginning to take shape.

Meghan reportedly wants enough space for family life and her expanding professional work.

Harry reportedly wants land, privacy and an outdoor environment for their children.

And together, they appear to be searching for something neither a royal residence nor simply another Montecito.

Six years after leaving Britain, the Sussexes are looking for a home that allows them to return on their own terms.