Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s Purchase of Portuguese Holiday Home Sparks Speculation Over Strategic Motives

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s recent move to buy a holiday home in Portugal has raised eyebrows, with some royal experts suggesting the purchase may carry underlying motives beyond simply enjoying a getaway. The Duke and Duchess of Sussex made their investment just as King Charles and Queen Camilla embarked on a high-profile visit to Australia and Samoa—a timing that some see as a bid to reaffirm their influence.

Royal commentator Lady Colin Campbell shared her perspective on the timing of the purchase, suggesting it may have been a strategic move. “Charles and Camilla are in Australia and Samoa, and we’re speaking about Harry and Meghan, and Portugal. They are geniuses,” Campbell remarked on Dan Wootton’s YouTube channel, indicating that the Duke and Duchess may be intentionally keeping themselves in the public eye while the senior royals are abroad.

Campbell likened the move to a tactic used decades earlier by Colin Tennant, who gifted Princess Margaret a plot of land on Mustique and then built her a home. This gesture helped elevate Mustique into a renowned celebrity retreat.

“It’s the oldest trick in the book,” Campbell noted, adding that the approach draws attention to both the royals and their locale, potentially boosting its profile. Further speculating on the couple’s intentions, Campbell suggested that Meghan’s purchase could also be designed to support Harry’s cousin, Princess Eugenie, and her husband Jack Brooksbank, who have ties to Portugal.

“This is a version of [Mustique],” she noted, adding, “To help out Jack and Eugenie and get them some publicity.” Given that Eugenie and Jack have also spent considerable time in Portugal due to Jack’s work with a sustainable resort project, the move could signal solidarity between the Sussexes and the younger branch of the royal family.

Whether their motives are purely personal or strategic, Harry and Meghan’s decision to buy property in Portugal has certainly reignited public interest, prompting speculation over the couple’s future plans and relationships within the royal family.