Meghan Markle Knew Living At Princess Diana's Ancestral Home 'Wouldn't Work': Report

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, Duke and Duchess of Sussex, are slowly building their new life in the U.K. amid their move in late August — but they haven't found their perfect home yet. It's not for lack of options, though. In fact, Princess Diana's brother, Charles Spencer, is said to have made his family's 17th-century lodge available for his nephew and his family. But the offer reportedly caused some tension between the couple. While Harry felt pulled toward the option, his wife believed it was too far off from what they'd previously envisioned for their family.

Known as The Falconry, Diana's ancestral home is located on the family's Althorp Estate in Northamptonshire, about 76 miles from London. "Harry was genuinely moved because Althorp will always be sacred ground to him," sources told Rob Shuter. "But Meghan took one look at the reality and knew it wouldn't work. Too remote, too far from London and, frankly, not nearly grand enough." According to insiders, Harry and Meghan want to replicate the lavish life their children had in California.

The Falconry, Diana's childhood home and resting place, couldn't accommodate their vision. "Meghan isn't moving back to Britain to hide away in an old lodge in Northamptonshire," a source added. "She wants privacy, history and security — but she also expects serious luxury, substantial space and easy access to London. This wasn't even close." For now, the Sussexes are said to be staying at a friend's empty home on the outskirts of Cotswolds, an upscale rural community near King Charles III and Queen Camilla's Highgrove House (seen below). Thus, the search for their perfect home continues.

Why Prince Harry and Meghan Markle left the U.S. is uncertain, but they are said to want a similar lifestyle across the pond. And they are said to have their eyes set on staying in Cotswolds, where they are reportedly looking at multi-million dollar properties. "The houses that they are looking at are so huge that you need to go in person and it's also a really big commitment. I know that they have a number of requirements," a source told the Daily Mail.

On Meghan's list, those requirements reportedly include nine bedrooms and a film studio. On Harry's part, they include a vast amount of land with no footpaths at all, given his concern for his family's safety. "They have an English countryside dream. This will be the first time that Harry has lived in the U.K. as a private citizen where no one can demand any access to him," another insider said. Besides, Harry is no stranger to the area, being so close to his father's private country residence (seen above). "Obviously, that's where he grew up, living with his father and brother there, and has happy memories," royal commentator Tom Sykes told Page Six in August.

After he married Meghan in 2018, Harry and his bride rented a secluded farmhouse in Cotswolds, suggesting that the Duke of Sussex has a special connection to the area. For now, Harry and Meghan are also reportedly keeping their $15 million home in Montecito, as well as their $8.5 million holiday home in Portugal, according to the Daily Mail report.