The Duke and Duchess of Sussex have bought a property in the celebrity hotspot of Santa Barbara for a reported £11 million.

Meghan and Harry had been house hunting for some time after relocating to the US from Canada just before the coronavirus lockdown.

They have settled on the coastal city in California where stars like Oprah Winfrey and singer Ariana Grande live, and a host of famous names like actors Jeff Bridges and Rob Lowe and chat show host Ellen DeGeneres have been past residents.

Duchess of Sussex’s Birthday
Harry and Meghan have moved to Santa Barbara with son Archie (Toby Melville/PA)

The home is said to have nine bedrooms, a games room, home theatre, spa facilities, an elevator, gym and a swimming pool.

A spokesman for the couple said: “The Duke and Duchess of Sussex moved into their family home in July of this year.

“They have settled into the quiet privacy of their community since their arrival and hope that this will be respected for their neighbours, as well as for them as a family.”

It is understood the Prince of Wales did not help in purchasing the property which reportedly cost 14.65 million US dollars (£11.1 million)

The couple are no longer working members of the royal family, having stepped back from the roles. Dominic Lipinski
The couple are no longer working members of the royal family, having stepped back from the roles (Dominic Lipinski/PA)

According to reports, the estate was bought by a company that apparently matched limited liability companies created by Harry and Meghan.

Alongside the 14,500-square-foot main house there is a two-bedroom guesthouse and tennis court on the seven-acre site.

Harry and Meghan plunged the royal family into a period of crisis when they announced earlier in the year they wanted to step back from their positions as senior royals and become financially independent.

A summit of senior royals was convened by the Queen at Sandringham to discuss the issue, with Harry sitting down for talks with his grandmother, father the Prince of Wales and brother the Duke of Cambridge.

It was later announced they would no longer be working members of the monarchy, split their time between Canada and the UK, with the majority spent in North America, and no longer be known as HRH.