In 2020, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle relocated to Montecito, California, an affluent coastal community known for its sprawling estates and secluded surroundings. The move offered the Sussexes the private, quieter life they had long desired away from the royal spotlight. However, according to a recent report, their pursuit of privacy has come with its own set of trade-offs.
The Sussexes’ home is in a region where flooding and debris flows remain major hazards, claims report
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have built a high-end life in Montecito with their two children, Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet. Their home is a sprawling estate featuring nine bedrooms, a pool, a wine cellar, and vast landscaped grounds. The property has proven to be a smart financial win for the royal couple.
But as reported by Hello!, the region has a history of severe weather, including major mudslides that forced evacuations. Now experts are flagging new concerns that when summer ends and the rains return, flooding could become a threat again. Much of the concern is focused on San Ysidro Creek, which runs near the couple’s gated community.
Terry Cunningham, the millionaire developer behind Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s residence, built the estate known as the Chateau of Riven Rock. The project took him four years to complete, though he later said he hadn’t factored in the area’s weather risks.
As reported by TMZ, the Duke and Duchess reportedly spent $14.65 million on the estate. Zillow currently values their expansive Montecito mansion at around $29 million, meaning its worth has doubled in the last six years. But even in this sought-after celebrity neighborhood, the Sussexes aren’t immune to nature.
“We sure as hell didn’t think about it [the mudslides] when we were building, but certainly it’s something I would be thinking about now,” Cunningham admitted to the Mail on Sunday.
According to the Montecito Journal, government proposals for a long-term solution are already in place, but locals remain concerned about the risks this fall and winter. Ellen DeGeneres, who previously lived in Montecito, experienced those dangers firsthand, evacuating her property when mudslides and flooding struck the area.
Originally reported by Sibanee Gogoi on Mandatory.
