Prince Harry and Meghan Markle secretly buy their first home

Prince Harry and wife Meghan Markle have secretly bought a private family home in Santa Barbara — the place they have chosen to put down permanent roots and bring up their son, Archie, after leaving the British royal family.

A source revealed that the Duke and Duchess of Sussex have been living for six weeks in their own home in the upscale California community, which is also home to their friends Oprah Winfrey and Ellen DeGeneres.

Amid much speculation that the couple would buy a place in Los Angeles, a source told Page Six, “Harry and Meghan have been quietly living in their own home in Santa Barbara since early July.

“They are not houseguests of Oprah or anyone else, they bought this home themselves. This is where they want to continue their lives after leaving the UK.

“This is the first home either of them has ever owned. It has been a very special time for them as a couple and as a family — to have complete privacy for six weeks since they moved in.

“They intend to put down their roots in this house and the quiet community, which has considerable privacy. This is where they want to bring Archie up, where they hope he can have as normal a life as possible.”

The source adds, “Harry and Meghan never intended to make Los Angeles their home. 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.”