MANY people dream of living in a £12million home – like Meghan Markle and Prince Harry – but it actually comes with its “struggles”, according to a professional.
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex splurged on their nine-bedroom Montecito mansion after stepping away from royal life.
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The sprawling 16-bathroom home is located in a star-studded California enclave and sits on 5.4 acres.
Fit for royalty, it’s characteristics library, office, spa, gym, games room, wine cellar and five-car garage, it is believed.
The property also features extensive lawns, tiered rose gardens, tall Italian cypress trees, lavender in bloom, olive trees, a tennis court courttea house, children’s chalet and swimming pool.
There is even a chicken coop with “Archie’s Chick Inn”, which has rescued chickens.
The couple, who live there with Prince Archie, six, and Princess Lilibet, three, have treated fans to glimpses of their multiple living spaces on several occasions – showcasing a minimalist vibe.
‘BOUTIQUE HOTEL’
Although the house looks like a dream apartment, it requires a lot of work, according to Eric Bramlett, real estate agent and owner of Bramlett Residential in Austin, Texas.
Speaking to Fabulous, Eric shared: “Managing a $14 million mansion like Harry and Meghan’s in Montecito is a lot of work.
“Even for such large modern luxury homes, you need a good-sized team and high operating costs.
“A house with 9 bedrooms, 16 bathrooms, a pool, tennis court and guesthouse probably needs around 10 to 15 full-time employees.
“This could include housekeepers, house manager, private chef and probably some security guards because they are famous.
“Just paying employee salaries, utilities, landscaping, maintenance, security and more could easily cost hundreds of thousands of dollars a year.
“Major renovations and repairs, such as roofing, HVAC and appliances, would sometimes cost even more.”
He added that the grounds – including the pool, trees and tennis court – will require help from gardeners and professionals.
Eric continued: “It’s like running a small boutique hotel with residential service.
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“Costs add up quickly, but that comes with luxurious living.
“Maintaining such a large place with adequate staffing and maintenance requires great money.”
HARRY’S VALUE
Fortunately, Prince Harry is believed to have an impressive net worth of around £48 million, which comes from inheritances and his various ventures.
Despite stepping down as a senior royal in 2020, he was rumored to have secured a $20m (£17m) advance from publisher Penguin Random House ahead of the release of his memoir Spare.
The Sussexes also signed lucrative deals with Netflix and Spotify after stepping down as royals, although the latter has now ended.
When did Meghan and Harry leave the royal family?
IN January 2020, the power couple announced they were officially stepping back from royal duties – to split their time between the UK and North America.
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex said in their surprise statement: “After many months of reflection and internal discussions, we have chosen to make a transition this year to begin playing a progressive new role within this institution.”
Meghan and Harry are now settled into their lives in the US.
The couple has no shortage of star-studded company in Montecito, with a large number of famous and wealthy neighbors.
Meghan’s friend Oprah Winfrey is among those in the area, along with fellow chat star Ellen DeGeneres.
In 1994, the Queen Mother allocated around £19 million to a trust fund for her great-grandchildren – which includes William and Harry.
According to The Guardianthe brothers split £6 million from this fund at age 21 and Harry took most of the money to “compensate for not becoming sovereign”.
When they reach 40, they will share another £8 million, but the other grandchildren, including Eugenie and Beatrice, will receive a few million pounds each.
In addition to funds from his great-grandmother, Forbes reported that Princess Diana left her children almost £8 million after tax.
It was also established that when William and Harry turned 25, they would start receiving around £340,000 a year.
MEGHAN’S HUMANITIES
Before marrying Harry, Meghan was worth around £3.5 million as a result of her role in US drama Suits.
She earned a salary of £500,000 for her role as Rachel Zane in the legal drama.
Meghan is about to launch her new lifestyle brand, American Riviera Orchard, which could sell cookbooks, jams and home items.
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This story originally appeared on The-sun.com read the full story
