Former royals Prince Harry, 36, and Meghan Markle, 39, revealed to Oprah Winfrey on Sunday, March 7, why they stepped away from the royal spotlight. The couple and their young son Archie rerouted to California quickly.

Last year, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex and their one-year-old son Archie Harrison Mountbatten-Windsor purchased their “forever” family home, a Santa Barbara mansion.

The prince and his wife first lived in a secluded home in the Canadian countryside before moving to a $18 million LA mansion loaned to them by Hollywood tycoon Tyler Perry.

The couple purchased a $14.65 million (or £11 million) home in Montecito, California, near Santa Barbara. The Duke and Duchess are said to have moved into their Santa Barbara mansion in July, during the coronavirus pandemic, and have spent the months since settling into the sprawling estate.

A source told Us Weekly in August 2020 that, while Meghan and Harry could have asked Prince Charles for financial assistance, they chose to buy their new home on their own. According to a source at Us Weekly, “Harry could’ve asked [Prince] Charles to contribute toward the cost of the house, but he chose not to … Getting his dad financially involved would result in the royals having control over him. It would mean going backwards.”

According to reports, the house is 18,000 square feet and sits on five acres of land.

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s new home. / Google Maps

Inside, Harry and Meghan’s home has nine bedrooms and a whopping 16 bathrooms, giving the Sussex family plenty of space to spread out.

The Chateau of Riven Rock has an elevator, a foyer with a staircase, living and dining rooms, a gourmet kitchen with a butler’s pantry, a breakfast room, a family room, a library, a billiards room with a wet bar, a home theater, a gym, a wine cellar, and a spa with a massage room.

The mansion is stunning, but viewers were most interested in the family’s chicken coop, which sports a sign that reads “Archie’s Chick Inn. Established 2021.” In a recorded clip played during the interview, Harry can be seen feeding their chickens, which were rescued from a factory farm.

Many celebrities consider Montecito to be a welcome quiet, isolated, and rural retreat away from the hustle and bustle of the Los Angeles area. In fact, Harry and Meghan have a slew of celebrity neighbors, including Oprah Winfrey, Ellen DeGeneres, Drew Barrymore, and Patrick Stewart.

Hello! also noted, “The neighborhood is renowned for its secluded hillside estates that promise the utmost privacy … Harry and Meghan’s property is situated on a private road with a lengthy driveway and large security gates.”

Harry and Markle had previously stayed in “Madea” character actor Tyler Perry’s Los Angeles mansion before relocating to Santa Barbara, California, about an hour and a half away. Their estate’s proximity to Markle’s mother was ideal at a time when Markle was dealing with mental health issues.

“It was a good place for them to be upon their arrival in the US, to be close to Meghan’s mom [who lives in LA],” a source previously told Page Six

The interview with American star Oprah Winfrey on March 7 was originally rumored to have been shot at Harry and Meghan’s Montecito home, but Oprah confidante and “CBS This Morning” host Gayle King told reporters the interview was shot at “a friend’s house,” according to the Daily Mail.