Sunday Mirror (Northern Ireland)
£10M MEGA MANSION
PRINCE Harry is seeing in the New Year with Meghan and baby Archie at a £10million waterfront mansion in Canada, understood to belong to a Russian oligarch.
The Duchess of Sussex’s mum Doria, 63, is joining the royal trio – along with a royal protection team, who are staying in a cottage in the grounds.
The property is believed to be owned by a powerful Russian businessman who is so secretive that he insisted the estate agent handling his purchase sign a non-disclosure agreement.
And it has everything a modern royal could desire – the gourmet kitchen is fitted with a top-of-the-range pizza oven, perfect for Harry, who has spoken of his love for a deep dish and thin crust. One local, who runs a deli close to the sprawling home in British Columbia, told the Sunday Mirror: “We know that it’s owned by a Russian businessman, but he’s never around.”
Another told us: “It’s an incredible property, and one of the most prestigious around here.
“I wasn’t surprised when I found out Harry and Meghan are staying there. It’s certainly fit for royalty.”
The Sunday Mirror has decided not to reveal the location of the royal couple’s holiday home.
Built just over a decade ago in several acres of manicured grounds, the estate was described by one previous visitor as “a sanctuary” rather than simply a home.
The rooms of the main house alone cover more than 10,000 sq ft – almost half as big again as Love Island’s summer complex on Majorca. As well as a wealth of opulent bedrooms, multiple bathrooms and a formal dining room, it has a games room with wet bar, a media room and even a wine-tasting room. The two-storey living room has spectacular sunset views looking across a magnificent stretch of water.
And despite being relatively new, there is even a 17th century French fireplace imported specially from Europe. The guest cottage in the grounds adds more than 2,000 sq ft of indoor space, and there is also a luxury summer house.
DIANA
The Duke and Duchess, celebrating seven-month-old Archie’s first Christmas, are understood to have arrived at the property 11 days ago and are expected to stay until Friday.
The region on Canada’s west coast was a favourite of Harry’s mother, Princess Diana, who admired its rugged beauty.
But despite their luxury accommodation, Harry, 35, and Meghan, 38, ate out on Christmas Day – taking a private suite
at a nearby VIP resort, with caterers they hired just for the day.
An insider at the upmarket retreat, where the eco-conscious couple were seen arriving in a parade of 4x4s, said: “The high-end caterers were called in to supply the lunch, which included vegetarian options, right at the last minute.
“There were 10 to 15 people in the suite, including their security detail. A fleet of SUVs was outside the resort, which the group had used, including Range Rovers.
“And as well as security from England, there were also members of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police there too.”
The couple’s British security detail for the trip is paid for by the taxpayer.
The source revealed that, during the lunch, talk had turned to how the group should go for afternoon tea at a hotel once visited by both Harry’s father, Prince Charles, and his grandmother, the Queen. The source added: “Harry and Meghan laughed about it. They wanted to go there, but it was thought to be too public at this time of year.”
The couple had needed to change their Christmas Day plans at short notice after another restaurant turned down their reservation due to the tight security required.
And while Prince William, Kate and their eldest children George, six, and Charlotte, four, greeted crowds at Sandringham on Christmas Day along with other Royals, Harry and Meghan were instead spotted taking Archie for a quiet family stroll in nearby parkland.
A dog walker who passed them said: “I saw them on one of the trails. They were with three security men. I saw the security men first – I just thought to myself how unusual it was.”
It is unclear who footed the bill for the Christmas Day lunch, or who is paying for the couple’s luxury stay – estimated to cost as much as £50,000 a month.
Asked about the Christmas Day meal, a manager at the unnamed resort said: “There is no comment.”
Harry and Meghan are set to throw a party at their luxury mansion on New Year’s Day.
But they still may not see the kitchen – they are planning to feed guests using the same private catering firm who cooked for them on Christmas Day.
I wasn’t really surprised, it’s a prestigious property... it’s certainly fit for royalty NEIGHBOUR
ON THE COUPLE’S LUXURY MANSION HIDEAWAY
patrick.hill@mirror.co.uk