Prince Harry Has Been House-Hunting Months Before He Met Meghan Markle

Prince Harry has been house-hunting for months even before he started dating Meghan Markle.

Last week, reports swirled that the royalty has been looking for a home in Cotswolds for him and his girlfriend. But a recent update from the Daily Mail revealed that Prince Harry has set his sights in the Oxfordshire area of England.

A source told E! News that Prince Harry is not necessarily looking for a place for her and Markle. Instead, he’s been on the hunt for his own place for about 18 months now and even before he met Markle. The source also shared that Prince Harry’s hunt for his own home has not been very “intense.”

“He looked in Norfolk about a year and a half ago but nothing really came up, apart from one place that he personally viewed. Yes, Oxfordshire does interest him, and it makes perfect sense location-wise given his life being so London-based and relevant areas of Oxfordshire being about a 90-minute drive away, but he’s not physically viewing houses there right now,” the source said.

The same insider noted that before Prince Harry settles down in the countryside, he might first stay at a new apartment within Kensington Palace. “I heard that it’s been recently discussed that Princess Eugene and Jack Brooksbank might move to Nottingham Cottage when Harry moves out,” the source added.

Meanwhile, news about Prince Harry’s house-hunting in Oxfordshire came just a week after it was revealed that he already introduced Markle to Queen Elizabeth. The “Suits” actress is currently filming in Toronto for the eighth season of the hit USA Network TV series.

But there have been speculations that Markle will move to London after her contract with the network expires. The actress has been playing the role of Rachel Zane in the show since 2011.

“As soon as the season wraps, Meghan will be preparing for her move to London. There’s a lot that needs to be done but she’s had great support from Harry’s aides at Kensington Palace, who have helped make the process a little less overwhelming,” the source said.