Harry and Meghan have waved goodbye to California glamour and set their sights on one of England’s chicest, greenest corners: the Cotswolds. No official statement, but the clues are plain to see: suitcases packed, children in tow, and Montecito’s villa put on hold for an extended stay in the United Kingdom.
And honestly? We completely understand why. We’re talking about 2,000 square kilometers of rolling hills, postcard-perfect villages, and pubs where time seems to have stood still since the 1950s, spread across Gloucestershire, Oxfordshire, and the surrounding areas. The weather remains a quintessentially British constant: about 2°C in winter, around 22°C in summer, an umbrella always tucked in your bag, but that’s the price to pay for a lifestyle you can only dream of in London.
Buy or rent? Still unknown. What is certain is that the Sussexes have chosen the right county to fade from the radar without sacrificing luxury.
The most glamorous neighborhood in England
If Harry and Meghan were seeking exclusive company, they’ve found it. Liam Gallagher has just moved to Coates, taking over a home from former England captain Tony Adams. Kate Moss, Simon Cowell, and Ellen DeGeneres already have the keys to houses in the area. The Beckhams, meanwhile, have been part of the scene for a decade: their estate even made an appearance on Netflix.
And the royal family? Far from being an exception, it’s almost a tradition: Princess Beatrice is raising her children here, Princess Anne has lived at Gatcombe Park for forty years, and King Charles III regularly escapes to Highgrove with Queen Camilla.
In short, the Cotswolds have become the perfect place for those who want to switch off without sacrificing comfort. And for cinema fans there’s one more reason to pack a bag: Gloucester Cathedral has hosted scenes from Harry Potter, while Woodchester Mansion stood in for Prince Philip’s college in The Crown.
Cost of living like the Sussexes in the Cotswolds
If the plan is to move into their very postcode, you’d better ready the wallet. In Gloucestershire, a detached house costs on average 593,000 pounds (about 690,000 euros), while in Oxfordshire the figure rises to 693,000 pounds (around 807,000 euros), according to Rightmove.
Things are a notch better—in Wiltshire, Somerset, Worcestershire, and Warwickshire—where detached homes typically hover between 760,000 and 840,000 pounds. Those numbers help explain why the Cotswolds have become the preferred destination for people seeking peace, nature, and a touch of exclusivity without sacrificing proximity to London.
For now the Sussexes have not confirmed whether they will buy or opt to rent, keeping Montecito as a Plan B. But one thing is certain: whether it’s a stone cottage or a stately estate with a garden, living like them in this corner of England has never been cheap, and that is precisely what makes it one of the country’s most coveted destinations, for those who live there and those who dream of it for a vacation.
