Prince Harry and Meghan Markle reportedly buy new property in Portugal

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex were asked to give up their Frogmore Cottage residence nearly two years ago, meaning they have no permanent base in the UK. Photo / Getty Images

The new house may allow the couple to gain a so-called Golden Visa to access the European Union’s Schengen area.

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex have bought a property in Portugal, it has been claimed.

It comes almost two years after the couple were asked by the King to give up their Windsor home, Frogmore Cottage.

The new home will give the Sussexes a base in Europe, enabling them to stay over whenever they make the transatlantic flight from the United States to visit friends or family.

It may also allow them to acquire a so-called Golden Visa, which allows visa-free access to the European Union’s Schengen area, the Daily Mail reported.

The couple spent several days in Portugal last September. They are understood to have stayed with the Duke’s cousin, Princess Eugenie, 34, and her husband Jack Brooksbank, 38.

‘Mega-secret’ trips to Europe

The romantic three-night break came after they attended the Invictus Games in Germany and before heading back home to their children, Archie, 5, and Lilibet, 3.

The couple were said to have flown from Dusseldorf to Lisbon before travelling an hour south to the coastal town of Melides, in the Alentejo region, in a “mega-secret” operation.

Harry and Meghan have spent time together in Portugal, most recently with the Duke's cousin, Princess Eugenie, and her husband Jack Brooksbank. Photo / Getty Images

A source close to the Sussexes confirmed they had been to Portugal.

Princess Eugenie and Brooksbank split their time between London and the CostaTerra Golf and Ocean Club in Melides where Brooksbank works in marketing and sales at the resort in the Alentejo region

The Duke and Duchess have remained close to the couple, who have visited them at their home in Montecito, California. Like them, they have two young children, August, 3, and Ernest, 1.

Harry and Meghan were with Jack and Eugenie in Toronto when the news of their relationship became public knowledge in October 2016.

The foursome had dressed up for Halloween to enjoy “one final fun night out” before their relationship was revealed to the world.

In February 2022, Prince Harry was joined by Princess Eugenie at the Super Bowl in California. She was also the only member of the royal family to appear in new footage during their Netflix documentary series Harry and Meghan, released in December 2022.

The Duke and Duchess purchased their first home together, a sprawling, nine-bedroomed property in Montecito in June 2020 for US$14.6 million ($24.1m).

Their office has been contacted for comment.