The Duke and Duchess of Sussex have a sprawling estate in Montecito to call home, complete with nine bedrooms, 16 bathrooms and acres of space. Inside the house, there are an array of impressive features including a wine cellar, a games room and a movie theatre, but it is their home gym that had an eyebrow-raising addition before the couple moved in.
Before the Chateau of Riven Rock was snapped up by Prince Harry and his wife Meghan Markle, it was rented out for photoshoots and events – no doubt thanks to its stunning surroundings and ample facilities. The estate was listed on the booking platform Giggster, where unearthed listings show exactly how the place was advertised, and there’s even mention of a pole dancing pole in the gym!
Their property is stunning inside and out
Although it has been heralded as an incredible discipline and a great way to stay fit, we’re sure the royal couple, who had then only recently stepped down as senior members of the royal family, would have sought to have it removed right away. Perhaps with Meghan’s love for pilates, a reformer would have been more suitable. At the time of purchase in 2020, the pair already had their son Archie, so making the property family-friendly likely would have been a priority.
The gym is a space we are yet to see Harry and Meghan showcase on social media, but we have had glimpses into their home office, cinema room and epic bedroom terrace. Their eponymously named Netflix docuseries also included pictures and footage from inside the secluded estate, showing off their stunning grounds and beautiful interiors.
How incredible is their bedroom terrace?
Quite a lot of Meghan’s Instagram uploads centre around their glorious garden, and this Valentine’s Day was no exception. Meghan shared a snap of her husband cuddling their daughter Lilibet, who was holding a bunch of red balloons. Behind the father-daughter duo, the outline of two palm trees could be seen, and these are sentimental to the family as Harry pointed them out when they viewed the property. “One of the first things my husband saw when we walked around the house was those two palm trees. See how they’re connected at the bottom? He goes, ‘My love, it’s us.’ And now every day when Archie goes by us, he says, ‘Hi, Momma. Hi, Papa,'” Meghan told The Cut.
© InstagramHarry was seen smiling as he carried his daughter
Securing their dream home
In Harry’s book Spare, he touched on how the couple paid for the mansion, writing: “So we pulled together a down-payment, took out a mortgage and in July 2020 we moved in.”
But there was a chance that the royals may never have bought this dream house because they almost didn’t go and view it. Speaking to The Cut, Meghan candidly explained: “We didn’t have jobs, so we just were not going to come and see this house. It wasn’t possible. It’s like when I was younger and you’re window shopping – it’s like, I don’t want to go and look at all the things that I can’t afford. That doesn’t feel good.”