Meghan Markle and Prince Harry Reportedly Buy Vacation Home in Portugal: Why It’s an Ideal Location for Them

Meghan Markle and Prince Harry are reportedly expanding their real estate portfolio.

According to the Daily Mail, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex have allegedly bought a vacation home in Portugal, adding to their residence in Montecito, California, where they live with their children Prince Archie, 5, and Princess Lilibet, 3.

PEOPLE has reached out to a spokesperson for the Duke and Duchess of Sussex for comment.

While the reports remain unconfirmed, the location would be an ideal choice for the couple. Harry’s cousin, Princess Eugenie, and her husband, Jack Brooksbank, also have a home in Portugal. In 2022, after Jack accepted a new job abroad, Eugenie and Jack, who are parents to sons August, 3, and Ernest, 1, began splitting their time between the U.K. and Portugal. They now own a residence in the CostaTerra Golf and Ocean Club, a luxury development featuring 300 properties located in Melides, just south of Lisbon.

Harry and Meghan visited Eugenie and Jack in Portugal in 2023, immediately following the Invictus Games in Dusseldorf, Germany, that September. Jose Santos, head of the Alentejo Tourism Board, confirmed that Harry and Meghan had enjoyed a “short stay” at the CostaTerra.

Portugal offers a significantly shorter flight to Harry’s home country of the U.K. compared to California, with average non-stop flights taking between 2 hours and 30 minutes to 3 hours. Sources close to Harry indicate that he has expressed a desire to return to the U.K. more frequently to visit family, friends and various organizations he remains connected with since stepping back from his role as a senior working royal in 2020. However, security concerns have hindered him from visiting as often as he would like and from bringing Meghan and their children along.

Since the couple was asked to vacate their former home, Frogmore Cottage—a wedding gift from Queen Elizabeth — last year, they no longer have a stable base in the U.K. Harry is currently embroiled in a security battle in the country as he seeks police protection for himself and his family when they travel to the U.K.

The report comes after weeks of speculation in the press regarding the couple’s marriage, particularly in light of Harry’s recent solo outings. The possibility of Meghan and Harry investing in a new property together would contradict those rumors.

Harry and Meghan have long been close to Eugenie and Jack, and the Sussexes also keep close ties to Eugenie’s older sister Princess Beatrice, PEOPLE previously reported. A family insider told PEOPLE in 2023, “They’re still the best of friends and talk constantly.”

Harry spent time with Eugenie and Jack and Beatrice and her husband, Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi, at King Charles’ Coronation in May 2023, and in February 2022, Eugenie joined Harry at the Super Bowl in California. She was also the only member of the royal family to appear in the Sussex six-part Netflix docuseries Harry & Meghan, which came out in December 2022. A clip in the series showed Eugenie playing with Harry and Meghan’s son Archie at the beach.

“Eugenie had always been more than just a cousin to Harry. They were also the closest of friends,” authors Omid Scobie and Carolyn Durand wrote in Finding Freedom: Harry and Meghan and the Making of a Modern Royal Family.

“Out of all the Queen’s grandchildren, Harry and Eugenie have one of the most natural connections. Like Harry, Eugenie is loyal, honest and great fun. The two had many nights out together in London,” the authors added. “Harry had always confided in his cousin when it came to the women in his life. Not only did he trust her implicitly, but friends say that she gives great advice and has always been ‘beyond wise’ for her years.”

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Speaking with Oprah Winfrey in 2021, Meghan revealed that she knew Princess Eugenie prior to dating Harry.

“Eugenie and I had known each other before I had known Harry, so that was comfortable,” she said. “We’re friends with them as a couple.”

Meghan later told Ellen DeGeneres during an appearance on her talk show that Princess Eugenie and Jack visited her in Toronto when she was dating Prince Harry. Before the news of their relationship broke to the public, the two couples went out to a Halloween party in disguise.

“The four of us snuck out in Halloween costumes to just have one fun night on the town before it was out in the world that we were a couple,” Meghan said.