Harry and Meghan's family life in Montecito, California

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle faced the British (and world) media when they attended Harry's grandmother's funeral. They kept a rather low profile, reunited briefly with the family, and then returned to their favorite place: Montecito, California.

Image: 'The Me You Can't See' / Apple TV

Life in California includes couples' nights out - for example, to see the singer Jack Johnson (photo) in Santa Barbara, as TMZ reported in the fall of 2022. The pair seemed relaxed, dancing and putting their arms around each other, other concertgoers told TMZ.

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex and their two children, Archie and Lilibet, along with their dogs, Guy and Pula, have been basking in Californian sunshine since 2020. And they are not thinking of going back to the UK.

Sources confirmed to Us Weekly that the Late Queen's great-grandson, Archie, and his younger sister, Lili, will be dual citizens of both the United Kingdom and the United States. But they have their roots firmly planted in Californian soil.

Image: The Montecito Village School

In July 2020, Harry and Meghan Markle moved from their temporary California home (lent to them by Tyler Perry) to a more permanent place in Montecito, Santa Barbara.

Montecito is a "small and affluent seaside city 100 miles (160 kilometers) up the coast" from Los Angeles, according to AFP. A family spokesperson told agency that the couple and their children have "settled into the quiet privacy of their community."

The estate Harry and Meghan bought in Montecito is called Riven Rock. The mansion has nine bedrooms, sixteen bathrooms, and costs an estimated $14.65 million dollars, according to the Mail Online.

'The Cut' visited the Windsor/Mountbatten/Markle home and interviewed Meghan Markle. The publication wrote that it is hard to remember that 'unimaginable wealth is actually someone’s daily reality'.

'It evokes a classic Tuscan villa, a Napa vineyard, and a manicured Beverly Hills country club decorated with careful, considered coastal tones for a casual air — the home equivalent of billionaires dressing down in denim,' The Cut's description of the family home continued.

"Surrounded by lush green gardens and overlooking the sea, the home has been described as a 'hidden paradise,'" the Daily Mail reports. "One estate agent who spent an hour inside said it was 'designed for someone who never wants to leave home.'"

Image: Italian Villa, Giggster.com

For Archie and his sister, the 7-acre estate has its own little children's cottage, a swimming pool, a playground, and a chicken coop.

The couple's Christmas message in December 2020 gave a glimpse of the family's garden. Its drawing was based on a photo taken by Meghan Markle's mother. It depicts Archie's playhouse in an ample yard, the three Sussexes (Lili not yet born), and their two dogs: Guy the beagle and Pula the black labrador retriever.

Meghan Markle's beagle, Guy, was already hers before she met Harry. She rescued him from a shelter. "Guy's been through everything with me," Markle told Oprah. "I had him in Canada." Now he is in Montecito with her and Pula, pictured here while Markle talks to Gloria Steinem for 'Makers Women' on Instagram. Filmed in August 2020, they are seated in front of a picturesque wooden bower in the couple's garden.

There's also the chicken coop. Oprah went in with Harry and Meghan to feed the 'girls,' as Meghan called them. The couple rescued the animals from a factory farm. "I just love rescuing," Meghan said; and Harry added: "She's always wanted chickens." The coop is called 'Archie's Chick Inn,' but it is as much a haven for Meghan as for her son.

Asked by Oprah what she's most excited about in her new life, Meghan said: "I think just being able to live authentically. Right? Like this kind of stuff. It’s so, it’s so basic, but it’s really fulfilling. Just getting back down to basics."

Not everyone would call a 14-million-dollar mansion "basic," but in the lusciously green hillside of the quiet town, hidden from British tabloid photographers, it may feel that way.

The mansion looks rustic in some ways - at least if you forget about the luxurious amenities and the five-car garage on the inside. A recent photo of the family, with Meghan and Harry hugging their nearly-2-year old son, shows a lush garden and an age-old tree in the background while the couple stands barefoot on the loosely trimmed lawn.

Image: Misan Harriman, Instagram

Based on photos by its previous owners on rental site Giggster.com, the Daily Mail describes the house as an Italian-style villa with "ivy growing up the façade and blue shutters." It's surrounded by "5.4 acres of land and immaculately clipped hedges" which border the estate's "stone-pillared entry gates."

Image: Giggster.com

But there is more to the area than just their home. The Sussexes love to go out and explore the landscapes and beaches of Montecito. "This year has been crazy for everybody," Harry told Oprah. "[We now] have outdoor space where I can go for walks with Archie. We can go for walks as a family and with the dogs, and we can go on hikes. We’ll go down to the beach, which is so close."

Archie often joins his parents for a walk with the dogs on the beach. In fact, a source told People magazine, Archie "is best friends with his dogs. They make him laugh and are gentle with him."

Image: 'Oprah with Meghan and Harry,' CBS

Harry told Oprah about one of his favorite things to do with Archie. "The highlight for me is sticking him on the back of the bicycle in his little baby seat and taking him on these bike rides, which is something I was never able to do when I was young," he said. "I can see him on the back and he’s got his arms out and he’s like, ‘Whoo!’ chatting, chatting, chatting, going, ‘Palm tree! House!’ and all this sort of stuff."

The city of Santa Barbara boasts that Montecito is the kind of town that treats famous people like anyone else. "Celebrity isn’t celebrated as much as it’s merely sensed," they say, "and famous residents and regular townsfolk shop, dine, and hobnob together." The city recommends visitors "do what the locals do: hang out on a sunny restaurant patio, read the paper, and don’t make a fuss if you see a famous face."

"While the recent arrival of Harry and Meghan considerably ups the ante in our laid-back town, locals will play it cool, keep their distance, and let them live the next chapter of their regal, yet relaxed, coastal lifestyle in relative peace," the city says.

"One of the biggest reasons celebrities love Santa Barbara is because they’re able to feel like 'regular' people and don’t get hassled by locals or by paparazzi," the city adds. "You won’t find any celebrity home sightseeing tours here."

One of the reasons for this normality is that the Sussex family will be no richer than the average Montecito resident. The town and surroundings of Santa Barbara are the more upscale ones of California. The city describes them as "the American Riviera" and says that "no other town does luxury or exudes an effortlessly chic vibe like Montecito."

The city of Santa Barbara says that Montecito has drawn "movers and shakers from around the world" since the 1880s for a luxurious and romantic vacation. Among the town's illustrious places is the San Ysidro Ranch resort, "where American royalty John and Jackie Kennedy honeymooned."

Houses in Montecito are generally designed according to the classic Spanish and Italian style of its first inhabitants. The Colonial Revival style dates from the 1920s when the town's elite idealized the atmosphere of old Spanish California.

British and U.S. media, such as The Guardian and Fox, have reported that the police were called to the Sussex's mansion several times in the past nine months. But the entire neighborhood is now under watch with organized theft becoming a local issue. Well, the area is like a tree of ripe apples for a thief...

The community of Montecito near Santa Barbara is a rich neighborhood. While not necessarily a showbiz enclave, it does have a handful of celebrities in its midsts like Oprah Winfrey, Rob Lowe, and Ellen DeGeneres.

Other stars in Montecito include Gwyneth Paltrow, Jeff Bridges, Julia Louis Dreyfus, Brad Pitt, and Ariana Grande. What's more, recently Katy Perry and Orlando Bloom were reported to have bought a house of their own in Montecito.

It might not be the Duke and Duchess of Sussex's neighborhood for much longer though! Their mansion in Montecito is allegedly for sale. According to The Mirror and The Daily Mail, Harry and Meghan are thinking about moving to another place.

The couple has been looking at properties in Hope Ranch, about 10 miles away from Montecito. If possible, it is even more affluent than their current address: Hope Ranch is home to billionaires and one of the most expensive neighborhoods in Santa Barbara.

Generally, the Sussexes are more popular in California than they've ever been in Britain. Americans have a history of rebelling against the English monarchs, and they've known Meghan Markle as an actress in 'Suits'. When choosing between Buckingham Palace or this young celebrity couple, they will favor the latter.