As I’ve said before, I 100% enjoy the storyline about the Duke and Duchess of Sussex possibly buying a second home in Portugal. In 2024, the Mail was the first outlet to say that the Sussexes purchased a luxury villa at the CostaTerra Golf and Ocean Club in Melides, Portugal. At the time, the British press was in a tizzy about EU passports and/or Golden Visas, which would enable the Sussexes to travel with a lot of freedom around Europe. Allegedly, Meghan hired Soho House’s interior designers to work on the villa. It’s more than likely that the Sussex family also vacationed at the villa earlier this month, basing themselves in Portugal ahead of their UK visit. It’s worth noting that the Sussexes have never confirmed anything about purchasing a villa. But it’s win-win for them, and it’s a tacit admission by the tabloids that, actually, the Sussexes are doing very well financially, well enough to buy a villa in a fancy resort community in Portugal. Well, much like their Montecito mansion, it looks like the Portuguese villa was probably a fantastic investment.
After the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, along with their two children, Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet, had a private meeting with King Charles and Queen Camilla earlier this month, there have been rumours about Harry making a potential comeback to the UK. Insiders have suggested that the royal couple purchasing a property in Portugal in 2023 was a way to be closer to Britain. But could their real estate move actually have a different hidden motive?
Knight Frank’s Global House Price Index revealed in Q2 of 2025 that Portugal had an 18 per cent annual growth, being one of the fastest-growing European housing markets. Therefore, it would be an extremely savvy place to make a purchase.
Data from the Institute of National Statistics for Portugal suggests that a property in Portugal bought at the beginning of 2025 would now already be worth 20 per cent more just a year later.
Portugal would also have been a desirable location due to the ease of the buying process there. Both UK and US citizens can freely purchase property with no restrictions on type or quantity.
The couple have also been working on renovations, overhauling the interiors, according to reports, which will, of course, also raise its value. The MailOnline reported that their property is currently undergoing a design makeover. It’s a special project because Harry and Meghan have brought in designers from Soho House, the members’ club where they had their first date in 2016, to spearhead the transformation.
It is also probably no coincidence that Princess Eugenie also has a base in Portugal, considering that she and Prince Harry have remained close despite his estrangement from the rest of the family. Eugenie has been seen to have taken many trips stateside since Harry relocated in 2020. Eugenie and her family are based on the CostaTerra Golf and Ocean Club in Comporta. It is not known where the exact location of Harry’s home is.
Hello Magazine then tried to make it sound like the Montecito real estate market is facing a downturn, but come on – they bought that place in 2020 for $14.65 million and even in a weak buyer’s market, I’m sure that their mansion has easily doubled in value. If they bought the Portugal villa early, in 2023, as the properties were likely first coming to market, I’m positive that this was an excellent investment for them as well. Notice how they deflect away from admitting what the Portugal property means financially too – that the Sussexes don’t actually need money, therefore they’re not desperate to get back in the Windsors’ good graces and beg for scraps. But… but… they’re broke, the Mail swears!!
Photos courtesy of Backgrid, Cover Images.
