Meghan Markle and Prince Harry have reportedly bought a home in Portugal, which could see them spending more time with the Royal Family – and the public getting a glimpse of their children Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet.

It’s been nearly half a decade since Prince Harry and Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, broke away from the Royal Family to start afresh in California. The couple themselves have confessed that their relationship with the other senior royals has been largely icy over the past few years.

However, a Royal expert suggests that a recent “extremely significant” move by the couple could indicate a potential thawing of relations, which would greatly affect their children, five-year-old Prince Archie, and three-year-old Princess Lilibet.

Reports suggest that the couple have recently bought a home in Portugal, marking their only European residence since being “evicted” from Frogmore Cottage following the release of Harry’s explosive memoir Spare, which revealed the reality of Royal life behind closed doors.

After their wedding, the couple initially moved to the Windsor property, gifted to them by the late Queen Elizabeth. When King Charles reclaimed the keys with plans to pass them to his disgraced younger brother Prince Andrew, a friend of the couple commented, “It all feels very final and like a cruel punishment. It’s like [the family] want to cut them out of the picture for good,” according to Yahoo News.

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have reportedly bought a home in Portugal

However, the new home in Alentejo has re-established the Sussex family’s European base, with Royal expert Richard Fitzwilliams calling the purchase “extremely significant.” The couple are not the only royals to own a property in Portugal, as Princess Eugenie and her husband Jack Brooksbank also have a home south of Lisbon.

“This is a surprise and is extremely significant. We have known that Harry and Meghan and Eugenie and her husband Jack have been close for years,” the expert commentator told FeMail. “They moved into Frogmore Cottage when the Sussexes vacated it and have reportedly seen each other in California and in Portugal, where Jack works,” reports the Mirror.

“This proves they are close and it also gives the Sussexes a base in the EU with the possibility of acquiring the Golden Visa, which would give them free access to the EU’s Schengen area. This also gives them a base near Britain. It makes clear that they are connected closely to part of the Royal family and it will be interesting to see how they intend to develop this.”

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle with kids Archie and Lilibet and, right (Image: alexilubomirski/Instagram)

The expert also noted that it creates the potential for Harry and Meghan, and their two children Archie and Lilibet, to spend more time with their Royal relatives, and perhaps for the public to even see more of the Sussex children.

“It will certainly involve their children and we may see photos of Archie and Lili, in the future, possibly the distant future, we may well see them with Eugenie and Jack and their family. This move obviously advertises that the couples are close,” he explained.