Harry and Meghan renting $10M 'paparazzi-proof' mansion near Elton John's LA home, says source
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle are renting an £8 million (about $10 million) mansion next to their friend Sir Elton John and his husband David Furnish's LA home, a source shared.
Harry, 35, and Meghan Markle, 38, are staying in LA currently and are on the lookout for a permanent place, away from people, a source shared. "Meghan and Harry have been hunting for months but have yet to find their dream home," the insider revealed.
"The market is dive-bombing at the moment so a permanent move seems some time away," the source shared, The Sun reveals. The property is said to be 'paparazzi proof' and is 'away from prying eyes'. It features two guarded checkpoints, has a pool, a gym and landscaped gardens.
"If they can't move for another few months, at least they will be happy and very comfortable here," the insider added. It is believed that the lockdown in LA will last at least until May 15 while Meghan and Harry are in touch with Elton John and his husband via video-calls.
Elton John has a close connection with the royal family and had also attended Prince William's wedding to Kate Middleton in 2011. He was also seen at Harry and Meghan's wedding in 2018.
The latest development follows reports of Meghan and Harry being pictured for the first time in LA. We had earlier reported that the Duke and Duchess of Sussex were seen delivering food packages to critically ill residents on behalf of a non-profit, Project Angel Food on April 15.
The couple were seen on surveillance cameras as they arrived at the Sierra Bonita Community Apartments in West Hollywood in their SUV in the morning. In the footage obtained by the Daily Mail, Harry was seen covering his face with a blue bandana while Meghan was seen sporting what looked like a white surgical mask. The pair were also seen wearing a single glove on their right hand.
The charity's client and recipients were unaware that it would be Meghan and Harry delivering food to them. One recipient of the delivery was 53-year-old Dan Tyrell was shocked to find the pair at his doorstep.
He admitted that he initially did not recognize the couple when he opened the door. "My phone rang and a lady said, 'Hi this is Meghan from Project Angel Food,'" Tyrell said. Tyrell has HIV and issues with blood pressure shared, "I said, 'Oh, do you want to meet me downstairs?' - I didn’t realize it was THE Meghan at this point.'"
He recalled being shocked as he walked out to see two black SUVs. As he approached the front door, Tyrell spotted Prince Harry who looked very familiar. "Then I looked at Meghan and put it all together," he shared.
The couple, along with their son, Archie, moved to Los Angeles from Vancouver Island, Canada, last month. Meghan, 38, has a large support system in LA which includes her mother, Doria Ragland, who is a social worker and a yoga instructor. Meghan has many friends too, some of whom had reportedly visited her while she was staying at Vancouver Island.