Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's private '£2.5 million' home in UK that they were 'forced to leave'
The couple vacated the house due to security concerns
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle reportedly once quietly shared a secluded countryside retreat in the early years of their marriage: a reported £2.5 million Cotswolds farmhouse kept largely out of the public eye.
The property, a four-bedroom farmhouse known as Westfield Large, was located on the exclusive Great Tew Estate in the Cotswolds, just over an hour from London.
Reportedly worth a reported £2.5 million in 2018, the home sat on around four acres of land. It included a main house, a converted barn with two kitchens, and a separate two-bedroom cottage for guests or staff.
Its location apparently put the couple near the Soho Farmhouse private members’ club and high-profile neighbours, including the Beckham family.
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s ‘secret’ £2.5 million Cotswolds home
According to reports, the duke and duchess signed a two-year lease on the property around the time of their 2018 wedding, using it as a private retreat during the renovation of Frogmore Cottage.
“Meghan loves the Cotswolds,” a source told Us Weekly in 2018. “[She] fell in love with the estate the first time she went.”
The couple were said to have enjoyed the privacy.
“[They] loved walking the dogs there and entertaining their friends in complete solitude,” one source told The Sun in 2018.
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The couple’s guests reportedly included George and Amal Clooney, Serena Williams and Alexis Ohanian, and Priyanka Chopra and Nick Jonas.
The farmhouse became an important temporary home while work was underway on Frogmore Cottage, their official residence gifted to them by the late Queen Elizabeth II after their wedding.
At the time, the Windsor property was undergoing extensive renovations, reportedly costing around $3 million. Harry and Meghan also personally funded additional interior upgrades.
During this period, the Cotswolds home served as a quiet escape from public life.
‘They are no longer able to live at the property’
Despite its idyllic setting, the couple’s time at Westfield Large reportedly came to an abrupt end in May 2019.
Buckingham Palace confirmed they were forced to leave the property after paparazzi photographs of the home’s interior were published, which officials said compromised their safety.
A statement at the time said: “The syndication and publication of the photographs very seriously undermined the safety and security of the Duke and the home to the extent that they are no longer able to live at the property.”
The images were reportedly taken from above using a helicopter chartered by a photo agency. They sparked serious security concerns shortly after the birth of their son, Prince Archie.
“The Duke of Sussex acknowledges and welcomes the formal apology from Splash News and Picture Agency,” the statement added.
The couple subsequently relocated permanently to Frogmore Cottage. Soon after, they stepped back from royal duties and moved to the United States in early 2020.
Before their Cotswolds chapter, Harry and Meghan also lived at Nottingham Cottage on the grounds of Kensington Palace while dating, a home Harry later admitted in his memoir Spare, he felt “embarrassed” to show Meghan.
After their 2018 wedding, Frogmore Cottage became their official marital home.
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