Prince Harry and Meghan Markle will have to make a tough decision about their pets when they move from the US. Some of their beloved animals will not be able to travel from their Montecito home, thought to be worth $16.7million (£12.2million) today.
According to Hello! magazine, Meghan and Harry's two dogs, Pula and Mia, will come to the UK. Both dogs regularly feature on Meghan's Instagram account and also appeared in her Netflix series, With Love, Meghan. However, their chickens, which were rescued from a factory farm, will be left behind. As the magazine noted, "the chickens are unlikely to be crossing the Atlantic".
Staff to tend Montecito home
However, it does not mean they will be cast outside. According to the outlet, "in the family's absence, staff will be tending to their Montecito home".
During the couple's interview with Oprah Winfrey in 2021, viewers saw Harry and Meghan tending to their chicken coop, which was fondly named "Archie's Chick Inn". This even became home to one of Ellen DeGeneres's pets, after her chicken suffered an injury.
The talk-show host shared on social media: "Sinkie's leg is fixed but our chickens were still picking on her so she had to be re-homed. Luckily, our friends Harry and Meghan's coop had room for one more. Not sure yet what her royal title will be."
Move to private residence outside London
It is understood that the Sussexes will move into a private non-royal residence outside of London when they come to the UK later this month. The location has been kept under wraps for privacy reasons; however, many believe it will be based around the Cotswolds, where the couple have previously enjoyed spending time.
It is unclear what work they will undertake upon returning to the UK. Their brand spans blackberry jams, Harry's Invictus Games, and their joint organisation for creative and charitable ventures, Archewell Productions.
Laura Stoloff, an American creative director who lives in London and the Cotswolds with her British husband, sees potential for Meghan to expand her lifestyle brand, As Ever, while living in the Cotswolds. She told the BBC: "There is still a lot of fascination with English country life, particularly in America, and she has the ability to bring that to a very large, global audience."
However, she warned: "A return to the UK could be a useful brand reset, but a postcode does not reposition a brand. Behaviour does."
