The Duke and Duchess of Sussex dancing during their Colombia trip© Getty

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have caused a stir with their alleged swanky new home which they have purchased in Portugal. Some royal watchers speculate it’s a move to “pretend they’re still royals,” but the truth is far more personal for the Duke and Duchess of Sussex.

Harry and Merghan have apparently snapped up a swanky pad on the sunny Iberian coast, which could bag them a “Golden Visa” for easy-peasy travel through the EU’s Schengen zone – and with a £6.5 million price tag, it really will be a golden ticket to the EU.

Reports of the eye-watering house purchase come just after the Duke and Duchess, after stepping back from their royal duties, had to hand back the keys to Frogmore Cottage to King Charles. Despite claims about keeping up appearances, royal commentator Angela Levin has explained the “real reason” for purchasing a home in Portugal, pointing out that Harry spills the beans in his tell-all memoir ‘Spare’

Despite claims about keeping up appearances, the couple might be looking to get closer to the Royal who Meghan treats as her “sister,” according to ‘Spare’. Angela told GB News: “Eugenie and Jack Brooksbank [are] there and in Harry’s book, Spare, he said Meghan and Eugenie are like sisters.”

She added a pinch of scepticism, saying: “I’m not quite sure of that because in August [Princess Eugenie] said she wants to come back to the UK because she wants to give the children an English education and she wants to be with the family.

“Is that a way they (the Sussexes) can go around various countries in Europe and pretend that they’re still royals again? I don’t think there’s anything positive about that.”

Ms Levin commented that while Portugal might offer “sea and sand”, Meghan already has that “on her doorstep” in California, where she resides with Harry and their kids, Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet.

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex, Harry and Meghan, are known to have a close bond with Eugenie and Jack, who dwell an hour south of Lisbon at the swanky Costa Terra Golf and Ocean Club, according to The Express. Last year, it was reported that following the Invictus Games, Harry and Meghan enjoyed a romantic getaway to Portugal, allegedly jetting off from Dusseldorf to Lisbon and then on to Melides.

At that time, rumours circulated that the Sussexes were guests of Princess Eugenie and Mr Brooksbank. The Daily Mail cited Jose Santos, head of the Alentejo Tourism Board, confirming the visit by Harry and Meghan. Harry and Meghan’s current abode is a lavish Tuscan-style villa in Montecito, boasting features such as seven bedrooms, 13 bathrooms, plus a cinema, gym, and library.

Their previous UK residence, Frogmore Cottage, was a gift from the late Queen in 2018, though the property is actually part of the Crown Estate. Prince Andrew reportedly turned down the chance to relocate from Royal Lodge to Frogmore Cottage, which King Charles reclaimed from the Sussexes following the release of Harry’s explosive book, ‘Spare’.

Back in August, it emerged that Princess Eugenie and Mr Brooksbank were mulling over a potential permanent return to the UK as their children approached school age. An insider revealed: “Jack’s company doing so well makes it easier for them to head back to England on a more permanent basis.

“They [the family] are currently spending a lot of time in Portugal and as the boys get a bit older, they are looking for kindergartens near to their London home and eventually schools in the UK.”