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MEGA WANNABE
I know why Meghan & Harry snapped up European bolthole… they’re set on following in royal pal’s footsteps, says expert
Watch our exclusive interview with royal expert Hugo Vickers
AN expert has revealed why Meghan and Harry have snapped up a European bolthole - following in a royal's pal's footsteps.
The couple have reportedly bought a home in Portugal after they were evicted from Frogmore Cottage in Windsor two years ago.
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They have reportedly been staying with Princess Eugenie and husband Jack Brooksbank at their holiday home in Melides on Portugal's Atlantic coast.
It is understood Harry and Meghan also went house hunting during the three-night break.
Royal expert Hugo Vickers told The Sun: "There are two reasons why Harry and Meghan might go to Portugal.
"One of them is the one that you mentioned that because he's very close to Princess Eugenie, his cousin.
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"They get on very well together. They seem to be the main members of the family who are still very much in touch with Prince Harry.
"The other reason is that there is always this fear that if Donald Trump gets re-elected as President, he will move Prince Harry from America.
"It's exactly the sort of thing that he would do, because first of all, it would show his strength and his power. To show that he can do it.
"He has been irritated, I think, in the past by things that Meghan Markle has said about him, and probably Prince Harry as well.
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"He would be completely in his rights to do that, and so they might be looking for an alternative residence."
The purchase may allow the Sussexes to acquire a “Golden Visa”, where they would have access to the EU’s Schengen area.
It would give them a base to stop off at whenever they make transatlantic flights to see friends and family or appear at events.
Hugo added: "Portugal's very accessible to all parts of Europe, whereas California is a long way away.
"Maybe he doesn't like the Californian way of life, I would imagine that would be quite alien to him.
"So I think there are many other reasons why he might wish to settle there.
"It may just be that they want an alternative, an extra home, to go to in the summer.
"If they're making lots of money, maybe they can afford to have two bases.
"He may well have enormous advantages, probably from the tax point of view, and also from cost of living.
"Food in Portugal is very, very reasonably priced, and I can see many reasons why he would find that advantageous.
"Obviously, Portugal is really right in the center of things. You can get anywhere very quickly from Portugal. It's very accessible."
ROYAL PALS
The expert added that Princess Eugenie could be key to Harry's plans to re-enter the royal fold.
Hugo said: "It's very striking that Eugenie and Prince Harry have this great bond of friendship.
"Certainly she's been over to California. We've seen pictures of her with him.
"Obviously she is right in there, and that has to be a really good thing, because she's a very nice girl, and they get on well together.
"We don't know to what extent there is any sort of relationship between Harry and the King at the moment.
"I mean, the King's got a lot of things to get on with. Apart from getting well, he's got his big tour to Australia.
"He's got all the things that kings have to do, and I suspect the message we're getting is that Harry just needs to sort himself out.
"I mean, the King's not going to waste much time concerning himself with his issues.
"But he's left the door wide open for him should Harry ever wish to return."
HARRY'S TRIPS
The couple's Portugal break comes after they attended the Invictus Games in Germany before heading back to the US to see their children Archie, five, and three-year-old Lilibet.
They are understood to have flown from Dusseldorf to Lisbon before driving an hour south to the coastal town of Melides, in the Alentejo region.
Earlier this year, they undertook two "faux royal" trips to Africa and Colombia.
Since then Harry has been on his own solo world tour, including stop offs in New York, the UK and a return to Africa.
It comes as the King and Queen Camilla are heading to Australia and Samoa tomorrow for an action-packed nine days.
Their trip comes six years after Meghan and Harry’s high profile trip Down Under which is said to have “broken” the couple.
According to a royal expert the Sussexes’ trip became a “catalyst” for leaving their roles as senior working roles and relocating to America.
They stepped down as working royals in March 2020 and have since fuelled a major rift with many members of the Firm thanks to controversial tell-all interviews and Harry's memoir Spare.
FROGMORE COTTAGE
The late Queen Elizabeth II gave Frogmore Cottage in Windsor to the Sussexes in 2018 as a wedding present.
It was leased to Eugenie and her husband in 2020 after the Sussexes moved to the US.
The Duke and Duchess purchased their first home together, a sprawling, nine-bedroomed property in Montecito, California, in June 2020 for $14.6 million (£11.2 million).
The 16-bath home is located in a star-studded enclave in California and sits on 5.4 acres of land.
Fit for royalty, it features a library, office, spa, gym, game room, wine cellar and five-car garage, it's believed.
The estate also boasts sweeping lawns, tiered rose gardens, tall Italian cypress trees, blooming lavender, olive trees, a tennis court, tea house, children's cottage and a pool.
There is even a chicken coop with “Archie’s Chick Inn”, which has rescue hens.
Despite the home sounding like a dream pad, it does come with a lot of work, according to Eric Bramlett, realtor and owner of in Austin, Texas.
Speaking to Fabulous, Eric shared: “Managing a $14million mansion like Harry and Meghan's in Montecito takes a lot of work.
“Even for modern luxury homes that big, you need a good-sized staff and high operating costs.
“A house with 9 bedrooms, 16 bathrooms, a pool, tennis court, and guesthouse probably needs around 10-15 full-time staff.
“That could include housekeepers, a house manager, private chef, and likely some security because they are famous.
“Just paying the staff salaries, utilities, landscaping, maintenance, security, and more could easily cost hundreds of thousands per year.
“Big renovations and repairs like roofing, HVAC, appliances would cost even more sometimes.”
He added that the grounds - including the pool, trees and tennis court - will require groundsmen and professional help.
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Eric continued: “It's like running a small boutique hotel with residential service."
The Sun has contacted the Sussexes' representatives for comment.
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