Meghan Markle and Prince Harry made a secret visit to Portugal after their time in Germany at the Invictus Games, it has been claimed.
The pair enjoyed a lightning “romantic escape” to the country’s Alentejo region between their trip to Dusseldorf and their return to the States last week, Portuguese magazine Nova Gente reported.
The publication said they had travelled to the village of Melides following an invite from Harry’s cousin Princess Eugenie.
Eugenie’s husband Jack Brooksbank works in marketing and sales at a private resort near the village on the Alentejo coast 80 miles south of Lisbon.
CostaTerra Golf and Ocean Club is a members-only luxury residential community owned by a company founded by George Clooney’s friend Mike Meldman, the Hollywood star’s partner along with Rande Gerber in tequila firm Casamigos.
It was reported in May last year Eugenie and her husband were splitting their time between Portugal and London after Jack started working for Mr Meldman.
The 33-year-old royal and her property developer partner are believed to base themselves at CostaTerra for part of the year.
Over the years Eugenie has been Harry’s close friend and confidante.
She was described as being “best friends” with the royal outcast in a recent newspaper article despite his fallout with William and King Charles.
Nova Gente, confirming Harry and Meghan had travelled to Portugal without their children Archie, four, and Lilibet, two, described the trip as a “mega-secret” operation they had preferred not to publicise.
The magazine said: “After the Invictus Games finished, on Saturday September 16, the couple headed to our country for a lightning trip.
“In a mega-secret ‘operation’, and with the reserve that has characterized them since they abdicated their royal duties in 2020, Meghan and Harry preferred not to publicize, either through the press or through their social networks, this ‘romantic getaway’.
“They arrived in Portugal without their children and as soon as they landed, they headed to Alentejo and more precisely to Melides.
“The choice of this location would have been related to a possible invitation from Harry’s cousin, Princess Eugenie who, since the start of last year has been spending a lot of time in this part of the Alentejo because of her husband’s work.”
It was not made clear exactly how long they had remained in Portugal, although it is known they attended a star-studded event hosted by Kevin Costner near his lavish Santa Barbara estate last Friday.
The Nova Gente article was today leading to local speculation Harry and Meghan may be looking at the possibility of buying a property at CostaTerra, where in the past the likes of George Clooney have been rumoured to be planning purchases.
