A paparazzi shot of Meghan Markle and Prince Harry somewhere on a beach near their new mansion in Santa Barbara, California might be valued at anything from £188,000 ($250,000), reports Daily Star Online.
After the Duke and Duchess of Sussex made headlines at the start of the year with their announcement that they intended to step down as working royals and divide their time between the UK and America, news came that the couple had purchased a home in Santa Barbara worth a reported £11mln.
Paparazzi were quick to locate the new pad and are now reportedly stalking the environs in hopes of a good shot.
Mark Karloff, a Los Angeles-based photographer famed for his celebrity pics and host of the Paparazzi Podcast, revealed just how lucrative a snapshot of the royal couple somewhere on the beach might be.
This is the home Prince Harry & Meghan Markle have purchased in Santa Barbara California. It cost $15 million, covers 5.4 acres, has 9 bedrooms, 16 bathrooms, guest house, theater, pool, tennis court, gym, playground, arcade, wine cellar. Neighbors include Oprah & Ellen DeGeneres pic.twitter.com/5Tmi90m95T
— Mike Sington (@MikeSington) August 13, 2020
The outlet quotes Karloff as suggesting a tantalising glimpse into the behind-the-scenes life of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle might be worth at least $250,000 (£188,000).
"Obviously the beach is up there, and there are a lot of semi-private beaches there. So definitely them on the beach somewhere, they got Orlando Bloom on an electric surfboard off the coast there. You could kind of see Harry doing something like that, and then obviously palling up with one of the other celebrities or billionaires that are up there,” said Karloff.
The seasoned paparazzi believed that some pics coupled with videos of the couple playing on the beach, or engaged in some water activity, like jet-skiing, might fetch “an easy quarter million at least”.
"You might not get anything for months, but then there's that one time when you see them going down to the beach,” said Karloff, who is convinced that Meghan Markle and Prince Harry won’t be able to resist the lure of the sea during the hot weather.
He also claimed that the paparazzi had their work cut out for them, as there was so much the couple might potentially do there, ranging from checking out the hiking trails and numerous little lakes, to the gamut of private boutique hotels right on the beach that they could potentially go to.
Voici un aperçu du sublime manoir dans lequel Meghan Markle et le Prince Harry ont déménagé. Cette propriété de 1672 mètres carrés située à Montecito près de Santa Barbara aurait coûté la modeste somme de 10 millions de dollars. pic.twitter.com/xZ3MOFEuk1
— NEWS TV RÉAL (@NewsTVReal) August 24, 2020
The photographer conceded that if the royals were truly wary of being seen, they might opt not to venture out of their mansion.
After Prince Harry and Meghan Markle officially left the royal fold, to divide their time between the UK and North America and lead a personally and financially independent life, they planted their roots in the US by purchasing a multi-million dollar mansion in Montecito, Santa Barbara.
The latest reports coming in from the gated community there, known for being home to celebrities such as Oprah Winfrey, Ellen DeGeneres, Carol Burnett, and the Kardashians, suggest the town is being bombarded with paparazzi on the prowl.
Montecito residents are said to be languishing under a barrage of heightened attention, with tourists, helicopters, and paparazzi stalking the area, reported TMZ.
Paparazzi have been lurking around the home of the couple, and in public places such as shopping centres.
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex paid $14,650,000 for the 18,000-square-foot home, reported Page Six.
The retreat features rose gardens and olive trees, a tennis court, a tea house, children’s cottage and a pool, with a two-bed guest house.
The couple are intent on keeping a low profile after earlier taking legal action against photographers to prevent the sale of photos of their son, Archie, taken via drone from their rented Beverly Hills house.
