The tabloid version of the Duchess of Sussex is that of a “dictator in heels” who constantly makes everyone cry with her long lists of “demands.” Considering she agreed to relocate her family to the UK for an indefinite amount of time, I think that the Meghan-the-Bully trope should be permanently retired. She’s not getting her way whatsoever, you know? Now, one thing I absolutely believe is that Meghan had (and has) requirements for the move, requirements which include a nice-sized home where their kids would have space to move around in privacy. Being American, I bet she’s also wary of any property which is in need of renovations just to be habitable or comfortable. Well, Rob Shuter claims that Prince Harry’s uncle, the Earl Spencer, offered the Sussex family a “lodge” on the Althorp estate. And Meghan turned it down cold.
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle want a home in Britain — but apparently not just any home. Sources tell Naughty But Nice that Harry’s uncle, Charles Spencer, offered the Sussexes the possibility of using The Falconry, the historic 17th-century lodge on the Spencer family’s Althorp Estate in Northamptonshire. Their answer? Thanks, but no thanks.
“Harry was genuinely moved because Althorp will always be sacred ground to him,” a source tells Naughty But Nice. “But Meghan took one look at the reality and knew it wouldn’t work. Too remote, too far from London and, frankly, not nearly grand enough.”
The Grade I-listed Falconry, built in 1612–13, was originally constructed for falconry before being converted into a residence. But insiders say the Sussexes have bigger ambitions.
“Meghan isn’t moving back to Britain to hide away in an old lodge in Northamptonshire,” says an insider. “She wants privacy, history and security — but she also expects serious luxury, substantial space and easy access to London. This wasn’t even close.”
For Harry, rejecting the offer was more complicated. Althorp is where Princess Diana grew up and where she is buried.
“Harry’s heart loved the idea; Meghan’s head killed it,” adds the source. “He saw family and memories. She saw isolation and compromise.”
Now the couple is eyeing something considerably grander. Uncle Charles offered history. Harry and Meghan want history — with better bedrooms and bathrooms.
I looked up photos of The Falconry and… yeah, I would have rejected it too. No disrespect, but Meghan has been living in an enormous mansion in Montecito for six years. I’m sure the lodge been renovated and modernized, but yeah… it doesn’t look like the kind of space for a family of four to relocate their entire lives. Meanwhile, Shuter and the royal reporters cannot have it both ways – if Meghan is a status-obsessed, Diana-copying bathroom-hoarder, why wouldn’t she want the “status” of living at Althorp and living that connection to Diana? Isn’t it more likely that both Meghan and Harry simply want to buy a place in the Cotswolds which they can really feel is “theirs.”
Photos courtesy of Avalon Red, Backgrid, Meghan’s Instagram.
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- The Duke of Sussex with his uncle Earl Spencer, at the unveiling of a statue of his mother Diana, Princess of Wales, in the Sunken Garden at Kensington Palace, London, on what would have been her 60th birthday.,Image: 619146847, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: NO UK USE FOR 48 HOURS- Fee Payable Upon reproduction – For queries contact Avalon sales@Avalon.red London +44 20 7421 6000 Los Angeles +1 310 822 0419 Berlin +49 30 76 212 251 Madrid +34 91 533 42 89, Model Release: no, Credit line: Dominic Lipinski / Avalon
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- Third Annual World Mental Health Day Gala hosted by Project Healthy Minds held at Spring Studios,Image: 1044459714, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: , Model Release: no, Pictured: Prince Harry and Meghan Duke and Duchess of Sussex, Credit line: Udo Salters/Wenn/Avalon
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- Third Annual World Mental Health Day Gala hosted by Project Healthy Minds held at Spring Studios,Image: 1044459731, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: , Model Release: no, Pictured: Meghan,the Duchess of Sussex, Credit line: Udo Salters/Wenn/Avalon
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- 2022 Ripple Of Hope Awards Featuring: Prince Harry, Meghan Markle Where: New York, New York, United States When: 06 Dec 2022 Credit: Janet Mayer/startraksphoto.com/Cover Images
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- 2022 Ripple Of Hope Awards Featuring: Prince Harry, Meghan Markle Where: New York, New York, United States When: 06 Dec 2022 Credit: Janet Mayer/startraksphoto.com/Cover Images
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- Earl Spencer, brother of Diana, Princess of Wales, meets members of the Rock Choir as they announce they will be supporting The Diana Award for a special fundraising project, at Althorp House in Northamptonshire, as the charity celebrate their 25th anniversary. Featuring: Earl Spencer Where: Althorp, United Kingdom When: 20 Sep 2024 Credit: PA Images/INSTARimages **NORTH AMERICA RIGHTS ONLY**
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- Earl Spencer, brother of Diana, Princess of Wales, meets members of the Rock Choir as they announce they will be supporting The Diana Award for a special fundraising project, at Althorp House in Northamptonshire, as the charity celebrate their 25th anniversary. Featuring: Earl Spencer Where: Althorp, United Kingdom When: 20 Sep 2024 Credit: PA Images/INSTARimages **NORTH AMERICA RIGHTS ONLY**
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- Earl Spencer, brother of Diana, Princess of Wales, meets members of the Rock Choir as they announce they will be supporting The Diana Award for a special fundraising project, at Althorp House in Northamptonshire, as the charity celebrate their 25th anniversary. Featuring: Earl Spencer Where: Althorp, United Kingdom When: 20 Sep 2024 Credit: PA Images/INSTARimages **NORTH AMERICA RIGHTS ONLY**
More fiction. How would these writers allegedly know this. Spencer and the sussexes would not make such confessions to the media. No way
I’m no expert in the subject but wasn’t Diana, Charles and their 2 sisters raised at Park House till their father became Earl Spencer? That couldn’t have been fact checked in Charles Spencer’s book about himself or the one he wrote about the Spencer family?
If this basic fact isn’t right ….why believe anything that comes after it.
Also – Charles book about Diana coming out soon will be interesting as the press plays the same games with the Sussexes as they did with Diana. Will the BM just ignore the book and refuse to publish anything about it? Because they will only be holding an old damaged mirror up to their own complicity in Diana’s death and invite comparisons to the Sussex treatment currently….
Yes. I read his memoir about boarding school and as I recall, their grandfather died when Diana was a young teenager, at which point their father became Earl and they moved into Althorp.
meghan lived in that tiny cottage harry had for at least a year so she is clearly open to compromise but maybe for her the compromise was moving back in the first place and she didn’t want to be on someone else’s property again but to have their own place where they can make decisions, rather than tiptoeing around on someone else’s land.
I agree but I would also add that they would never want the crazy circus around they to affect Harry’s uncle and his family’s peace
What sources. A friend of the third cousin of someone who saw earl Spencer going by in a limousine?
The bird that lives at the top of the falconry.
@Yup, me it is that sqawky parrot who repeat any old crap for pieces of eight rather like T Markle!
I’m telling ya, that parrot is a font of information for the living and the dead. It even talks to buildings!
The earl have many houses open for rent. I absolutely believe he offered one to them and I as much believe they accepted.
Althorp Estate is well situated for travelling both to London or Birmingham. It is also perfect privacy and protection wise.
During visiting season, the Sussexes can either move to Portugal or home in California.
The nearest city Northampton have elite schools and also offer quality entertainment.
She’s a grown woman and wants her own home, not a secondary house on a relative’s estate? It was nice of Earl Spencer to offer, if indeed he did. And I’m sure he would have respected their privacy there. But I get it.
This. She’s a wealthy woman in her own right, she knows how to buy property (done it at least 2x now).
Her name is Meghan Sussex, Mr. Shuter, not Marianne Dashwood.
Didn’t Spencer deny offering them a home? Also if Meghan wants to be in London, why are they living someplace hours away? Dumb article.
The daily mail ran a story a week or so ago and they asked Charles Spencer if he had offered a home to Harry. Charles actually responded and said if Harry had asked for a home, Charles would have found one suitable for them. But Harry didn’t.
So shuter is lying as per usual when it comes to Harry and Meghan.
Plus I’m sure they are not in love with the idea of renting a home on someone else’s property after being kicked out of frogmore. I know Charles Spencer would never do that but that doesn’t mean h and m don’t still feel that sting of losing their first uk home. I’m sure they both are in agreement that if they’re going to live long term in the uk, they will purchase their own home.
Plus they need to give their kids stability in the home and buying one for yourselves will give them the opportunity to make it feel like home fully.
Well, I dont believe Shuter has any actual sources who would know anything, but generally speaking, the idea of Charles Spencer offering them a place to live makes sense. As does the idea that Meghan would want to be on her own space and in her own house, to pick out where she wanted to live, etc. Charles probably offered, Harry and Meghan graciously said no, and that was that.
The fan fiction they write is so low caliber. Just throwing shht against the wall. But nothing sticks to a grey rock! Althorp is huge and probably has its own army, so they’d be safe there. If it were true: Renovations take so much time. She’s probably done with that kind of effort after The Frogmore Fiasco. I just wish they’d move someplace anonymous and totally mid, like Chicago, if they were tired of sunny CA.
And if wishes were horses even unimaginative, pauperized aresholes would ride, innit?
It wasn’t very polite to call me a poor asshole, Kingston. But I won’t take you out to the parking lot since you seem to have H&M’s best interests at heart.
Better yet, St. Paul. We’re used to really famous people and the vaunted “Minnesota nice” (which isn’t) means nobody would even smile at them, let alone look twice.
Meghan could do a remake of the MTM Show there 😂 complete with hat toss.
Yeah, I don’t believe this. Up until 2 weeks ago, Shuter didn’t know that Meghan was moving back to the UK. Now we’re expected to believe that she rejected a house on the Althrop Estate. GTFOH.
@Amy Bee
Thank. You.
One and done. Yours is the only post required for a thread like this. But I guess folks gotta earn coins and eat, right? LMAO
Not sure what being American has to do with not wanting to renovate something…However, I *do believe that what happened with Frogmore cottage would absolutely make them unwilling to ever again get entangled in renovating and living in a home they don’t own, because f*ck that. One thing I do find utterly bizarre as an American is the idea of long leaseholds where you are responsible for the physical upkeep of a home but do not actually own it.
I agree. There are some seasonal homes in a town about half an hour from where I live that work like that. They’re very small summer places near the water, so the deal is you buy a 100 year lease on them but don’t technically own them. And as a result, they’re cheap compared to neighboring homes. But again, they’re just seasonal places. Very basic. What improvements people have made are higgledy-piggledy. And they literally close them up for the winter. It’s hardly the same as a year round home.
It could be schooling too. When my cousin was looking to buy a house, he and his partner chose the school district first then searched around there. It’s quite possible the kids were enrolled in the school of choice then the house hunting began in earnest (because the Sussexes have far more means than my cousin lol)
I know UK doesn’t have districts as such, but since the kids are day schoolers, they’d want to be within reasonable distance to the school.
The royal reporters have not only conquered the derangers but also some of the so-called non derangers. To believe any of this, one must believe that either the Sussexes or the Spencers leak something this private to the uk media.
As usual, give the abusers the benefit of the doubt!
Probably didn’t happen.
Meghan (and Harry) already paid to rennovate someone’s grotty old property. Fool me once…
Also, Meghan has experienced that Harry’s perspectives and memories of his family don’t necessarily align with the realities of their actions and behaviors. I can’t imagine she would be on board to live with anyone he is related to ever again. Ever.
She’s back in the country. That is incredibly generous of her. I hope she makes very few additional compromises (though, she has shown herself willing to make many).
If Shuter think this makes Meghan look bad, think again.
Meghan is a mother of two young children. She has to think about practicalities such as school runs, transporting the children to after school activities, shopping, getting herself to business meeting or meeting with charities and so on. Somebody has to have their head screwed on.
Meghan already had one house on someone else property taken away from her and her family by a father in law who is a dead beat . I think if this story is even true and I gave serious doubts because no one is talking to the rob guy, anyway as I was saying, if the story is even true . Maybe Meghan wants wherever her children and herself and Harry live to be theirs. Something that no one can take away from them if they don’t like the way she planted the rose bushes in her back garden or that she picked plums from the tree in the front yard without asking even though they were on her property ground by her front door of course I am making this example up but I just mean that Meghan doesn’t want anyone to ever do to her again what Harry father did to her
“Sources tell” that they were offered something on Althorp estate, we need to know who the sources are, before believing anything that the media tells us these days.
All these endless, endless are just fantasy projection based upon guestimates and narratives about Meghan being grandiose eg I DEMAND a Film Studio with eleventy hundred toilets. No friends of Harry and Meghan are talking to anyone and definitely not this obsessive piece of work!
Exactly.
I personally am leaning towards this move being about setting up a permanent residence on British soil so they actually have a base of operations in both the USA and the UK that was the original goal of the half in half out scenario that they wanted now they are building on their own they are fully “out” but will have two homes for living and the Portugal home as a vacation home.. I admit to looking at Cotswold properties and seeing what is available and i truthfully expect them to purchase something with similar size and amenities as the Montecito home but on a larger piece of property than they have in Montecito. It doesn’t surprise me that they didn’t accept the offer and it’s not an insult to say “no but thank you for the offer “ if it isn’t what you want to do.
Rob sources live up his lying ass. And I am sure after what Harry father did in taking away Harry and Meghan and their family uk home . As much as she would have appreciated the offer which I have serious doubts this story is even true. They just made it up to make Meghan look demanding and ungrateful/ but even if it’s true , Meghan already had to live through what Harry father did to them when he took Frogmore back out of pure spite . She will never do that to her family again . Especially not after bringing her two young children to live in another country. Last thing they need to to be kicked out because she picked a plum from the tree infront of her front door .
I think Meghan and Harry are both right in having their own place.
Also how come kitty didn’t get these ungrateful stories and diva like behavior when they left that cottage and kicked those people off the land and the house and took it for themselves because kitty wanted to have a bigger house to compete with her sister and Meghan
Separation is good in this case. While Earl Spencer has been magnificent in his speeches about Diana and the monarchy’s BS, he’s kind of a male slut. Good on the Sussexes for avoiding that drama.
“Kind of” lol. They used to call him Lord of the Flings.
Yeah, he is a serial husband for sure. But he is a very good writer so I am looking forward to his new memoir.
In the very old days he was known as Champagne Charlie. He is also a very good writer. I have ordered his new book as well.
The way these people create lies never cease to amaze me. Harry and Meghan had already applied to schools in the Cotswolds so they would never have accepted the offer of a property on the Althorp Estate because it’s miles away from that area – nearly a one and a half hour drive at the very least.
The Falconry looks like a place that would be fun to rent for the night as a tourist, not live in! If the story is true, I don’t blame her for turning it down.
Beside that Shuter has no sources in the Sussex or Spencer circles, the Falconry is “grand” and if Meghan wanted that, she would accept it without thinking twice.
Charles Spencer lived there until he inherited Althorp and moved into the main house in 1992. Very likely it hasn’t been renovated since then. My main issue with Althorp? It is open to the public. They couldn’t have the children running around freely while tourists are around.
Meghan doesn’t look for close proximity to London, but for a short school run. And, most importantly, safety. A huge secluded estate, easily to secure. With enough bedrooms for the children, the nanny, and guest rooms. Ready to move in without extensive renovations.
This is just another made up story to make Meghan look difficult and demanding.
They are mad because they can’t force her to be small. She gets to pick the home she wants; she’s paying for it. She gets to ignore them; she gets to come and go as she pleases. She gets to have her own calendar of events that she doesn’t share with them; she gets to keep them away from the kids. They are mad that they STILL won’t have access or control. Them purchasing their own home, and a nice big one also destroys the broke and desperate narrative they’ve been pushing.
that place looks like something out of a gothic horror movie.
I think this is one of those things that could have a grain of truth. It looks really cool. Earl Spencer may have offered it to them, knowing it was unsuitable and they’d say no, just because Harry had some fondness for it.
Also, Grade 1 listed is Britain’s highest level of historical protection. That means you have to have permission to make changes to both the interior and exterior and that the changes have to maintain the period details. It means huge expense to do any repairs and you are limited in being able to expand or modernize. So I’d love to live there, but would probably turn it down as well.
Why would it have a grain of truth to it though? He didn’t even know that they Sussexes had visited Althorp until after Meghan posted photos and he didn’t know they were moving back to the UK until it was confirmed by the Sussexes that they were going to return temporarily. So how would he have a source about this to give him a grain of truth if that source didn’t even inform him about the Sussexes when they were actually in Althorp and that they were moving back to the UK? Any of us could have made an assumption of anyone making them offers of places to stay while in the UK, that doesn’t make it partially or fully the truth. The purpose of this is to make Meghan seem ungrateful and rude when nothing about hers or their previous homes show someone who is anxious to live in a luxurious home. Obviously they would want a place that is located in a place where they can give their children the proper safety and privacy they need while in the UK, so nothing he said is out of line of what any parent would want for their children. It’s his part about Meghan not wanting it because of her wanting something luxurious that is the dead giveaway that this is a made up story because none of her homes have been luxurious. This is just like their lies that she wanted a floating floor and a copper bathtub at Frogmore Cottage, which was all lies.
Yeah, that place is probably haunted, so it would be a no for me, too.
But Shuter is making crap up.
This article shows that the press don’t really know where the Sussexes are living and are guessing. I think that the framing of this as Meghan shows they blame her for not letting them know where she is. These people really thought they’d have access now that they’re back in the UK and that simply isn’t going to happen. This reeks of frustration and I find it amusing.
If the Crown paid back Harry and Meghan for the renovations to Frogmore, the sum would probably cover their security for a year. The Crown and the UK owe Harry and his family and that should be obvious to everyone. By doing nothing about the smearing and racism, which they contributed to, they made the Sussex family bigger targets than ever.
If I have money, why would I live in a lodge on my husbands family property when I have kids and dogs? I would want space. Even if it was true why can’t she say no?. Look, if I agree to support my husband by moving closer to his insane family and all the crazy crap that comes with them, I’m going to make sure that I”M comfortable. Living with or on other folks’ property is not a good way for adults to live. Why do they keep acting like they have to take other folks scraps? I suppose it’s because their broke and desperate narrative isn’t playing?
I pretty much agree with most commenters here. After being forced to leave someplace they both thought they would grow old together at, Frogmore, and since being in California and building up their portfolio and becoming independently wealthy, which is the only way to go to protect oneself, I’m sure they want their own property. I have often thought that when coming to California from Canada with Tyler Perry’s help, that other people of great wealth and influence piled on and helped them achieve the wealth needed to become insulated. I would want my own property as well. And also, having one’s own property further insulates the Sussexes from idiotic and malicious press that could be drummed up from them living “mooching” on someone else’s property: it would be easier for the press to say that they crawled back to England, in need of help, not financially independent and secure. When you own your own property, you call the shots, and you are in charge of staying private. It is also a really good way to make sure that one stays on good terms with one’s relatives.
What a load of twaddle from Shuter. Who is this all knowing source that gave the information to Shuter? were they actually there when the offer was made? Such offers, if they were made, would have been made in private.
Brits are snobby bastards if they think it’s too much for an American millionaire to want to not live in a drafty freezing cold + iffy-plumbing shack, no matter the history.
I imagine they’re looking for a place that doesn’t need a ton of work beyond decorating to make it their own. It will all be stressful enough without living in a construction zone!
it would be different if they were moving to London and just wanted a country place.
They don’t have any sources. This story is ludicrous solely because no one with any real knowledge is talking to the author of this article.
Why are we believing anything these people say about Meghan when they have never met her and every description they give of her goes against who she has always been to her friends and what we’ve seen of her? They complained about her not renovating the kitchen of their Montecito home but we are now to believe that she is so pretentious that she wants a home that is luxurious? She lived in a two bedroom home in Canada for years will filming Suits. She dated and married Harry even though he lived a shack that was smaller than what she lived in in Canada. They only moved into Frogmore Cottage, after refusing much larger and grander royal homes to live in. The larger homes they have moved into with necessary security and privacy has only been since having children and having to deal with unrelenting tabloids that have flown drones over their properties without permission. As I said, the media has gone on about a kitchen that they say wasn’t refurbished, even though it actually has, because it isn’t grand and luxurious as THE MEDIA expects them to want as millionaire royals.
None of these people knew that they had visited with the Spencer family in Montecito and in Althorp until after Meghan posted photos. They also had no idea that they were moving back to the UK temporarily until after the Sussexes finally confirmed it. So hi would they know what has or hasn’t been offered to them by Harry’s uncle if they didn’t know of the move until after the fact? And how is wanting a home that is located in a reasonable location to London, has adequate security and privacy anything to bash any parents for or to think isn’t the normal expectation of any parents?