From aspiring actress to Hollywood star to royalty, the dizzying journey of Meghan, Duchess of Sussex – still known the world over as Meghan Markle – has been anything but dull, so it's no surprise that she's built up quite the real estate portfolio over the years. Having just given birth to her second child, Lilibet 'Lili' Diana, Meghan has swapped English fairytale castles for a Californian mega-mansion fit for an A-list family. Click or scroll on and let's take a look inside the amazing home where she's raising Lili and Archie, and revisit the incredible residences she's collected along the way...

Meghan has called Toronto, Los Angeles and London home, but since taking a step back from royal duties, she's upped sticks to the Sunshine State, where she lives with her husband, Prince Harry, their two-year-old son, Archie, and their newest addition, baby Lili. Today, Meghan and her family reside in Montecito, a seaside enclave in California's Santa Barbara County, after officially relocating to a plush, private estate this summer. But she wasn't born into such a palatial property...

Pictured here aged 11 in a video shared on the Duke and Duchess of Sussex's official Instagram account, Rachel Meghan Markle was born on 4 August 1981 in Los Angeles, California. Following the divorce of her parents when she was six years old, Meghan went to live with her mother, Doria Ragland, a clinical therapist and yoga instructor – the pair continue to share an incredibly close bond.

Meghan's father, Thomas, was a lighting director and would often bring her to set, giving Meghan her first taste of the silver screen. After gaining a bachelor's degree in Theatre and International Studies at Illinois's Northwestern University, she moved back to Los Angeles and secured her first TV role in General Hospital, as well as making other appearances in CSI: NY and 90210. However, her big break would come in 2011, when she landed the role of Rachel Zane in Suits.

In 2011, Meghan married her first husband, Trevor Engelson, an American film producer. While the pair split two years later, this Colonial-style property in the Hancock Park neighbourhood of Los Angeles was their marital home together. The impressive mansion, which the couple rented, was Meghan's base when she wasn't filming Suits in Toronto.

Recently renovated, the interior of the grand home is light and airy, with expansive white living areas featuring vibrant pops of colour and characterful fireplaces. Spread across 2,262 square feet, there's no shortage of space to stretch out, while outside, there's a covered porch, a generous yard with a terrace and a garage.

Offering four sizeable bedrooms and three bathrooms, the former couple's home has every luxury a Hollywood star could ask for. This light-filled space comes complete with an opulent ensuite bathroom and a walk-in wardrobe, while the decorative wrought-iron panels across the windows add plenty of charm both outside and in.

Featuring grey herringbone wall tiles, this ornate bathroom dazzles with dual marble vanity units and gold accents. Not a bad place to call home! Meghan moved out of the stylish Los Angeles home following the couple's breakup in 2013, but there were bigger and better things in store for the star...

While Meghan was filming Suits, she rented out this modern townhouse in Toronto, Canada. She stayed here nine months of the year for the seven years she was working on the show. After meeting Prince Harry in July 2016, when they were set up on a blind date by a mutual friend, he also spent time at the home when visiting Meghan in Canada. 

Before deleting her Instagram account and closing down her lifestyle blog, The Tig, in preparation for becoming a royal, Meghan documented her interiors style regularly, showing off her taste in art, blooms and pets. It's a much more modern look than the golden guild of the royal palaces she's stayed in since.

The stylish townhouse is located in the cool Toronto neighbourhood of Seaton Village and sold back in 2018 for $1.6 million (£1.2m) – a price no doubt helped by the property's royal connection. 

During her time in Canada, Meghan resided in the townhouse with her two beloved pooches. Her beagle, Guy, travelled to London with her in 2017 when she moved, but her other dog, Bogart, was deemed unfit for flying and was given to friends. Meghan's Instagram snaps show the dogs in the Toronto property – we particularly love the colour-coded bookshelf in this picture.

The contemporary two-storey home has three bedrooms, two bathrooms and a detached garage with a back exit to a private lane, which was no doubt handy for avoiding the media when Harry was staying!

Her interiors inspiration for the chic townhouse was reportedly a Californian bungalow, with exposed hardwood floors and plenty of light flooding in to get her through the cold Canadian winters. 

Meghan added pops of colour and personal touches throughout the house but kept the bedroom a calming off-white hue. Regular peeks inside her living spaces on her old Instagram account showed details such as photo frames, coffee table books and her favourite flowers, peonies.

The Toronto house is fairly typical for the picturesque city suburb of Seaton Village, which is known for being family-orientated, and it was sold as a stylistically modern, designer city pad, which is clear from the beautiful bathroom décor.

Meghan evidently has good taste when it comes to interior design – Instagram posts show incredible artwork dotted across the home's walls, while a stylish lighting setup is clearly visible in the living room. The plush cream sofa would have been the ideal spot for her to kick back with her dogs and Prince Harry while they were dating. 

From the outside, with its quaint pale blue front door, grey clapboard exterior and charming covered porch, you'd never know it was the former home of a member of the royal family.

After a year and a half of dating, Meghan and Harry got engaged on 27 November 2017. They announced their engagement in the Sunken Garden in the landscaped grounds of Kensington Palace in London – a favourite spot of Princess Diana's. The pair had already been spending plenty of time at the palace estate, where Harry lived in Nottingham Cottage.

It was at Nottingham Cottage, previously the home of William and Kate, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, where Harry popped the question. A refreshingly relaxed proposal, it happened while Harry was cooking a roast chicken during a cosy night in. The couple continued to live in Harry's quarters in Kensington Palace until they got married.

One of the smaller residences within the grounds of Kensington Palace, Nottingham Cottage is certainly not a bad crash pad in the capital. Insiders describe it as a perfect starter home for a couple, with two bedrooms, two reception rooms, a bathroom and a small garden.

The couple gave a glimpse inside their home during their engagement interview, which was held in a living space inside the cottage. Sitting on a cream sofa, it's clear to see the calming neutral colour scheme of the home, with a white panelled wall in the background and a lavish gold lamp.

It's rare to see inside the private quarters in Kensington Palace. However, we did get a glimpse through the keyhole when photos were released of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge entertaining the Obamas in their official London residence, which would have been the scene of many royal gatherings with Meghan and Harry too.

Apartment 1A is one of the largest properties within the multigenerational palace complex and comprises two nurseries, three kitchens, three main bedrooms, three bathrooms and a basement. Located inside the same compound as Nottingham Cottage, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge's residence gives us a taste of the décor Meghan and Harry may have inherited.

Meghan and Harry decided to tie the knot at another famous British landmark – Windsor Castle. It's also a favourite weekend retreat of the Queen's and has been a significant place for the couple throughout their marriage.

On 19 May 2018, Meghan Markle and Prince Harry were married in St George's Chapel at Windsor Castle, where they were given the titles of Duke and Duchess of Sussex. The newly married couple had the ultimate royal wedding venue, with pictures taken in the beautiful Green Drawing Room and two receptions in St George's Hall and the Frogmore Estate.

The queen had an incredible wedding gift waiting for the royal couple on their wedding day. After gifting Prince William and Kate Middleton Anmer Hall on the Sandringham Estate, the Queen decided to bestow Frogmore Cottage upon Meghan and Harry, which would become their permanent home in the UK. 

The historic Grade II-listed house on the Frogmore Estate, which is part of the Windsor Estate, became a royal residence in 1792 when Queen Charlotte employed an architect to transform it into a country retreat. Home to many royals over the centuries and later divided into five properties, it was converted back into a large family home for Meghan and Harry at a reported cost of $3 million (£2.4m) in 2019, an amount the couple have since repaid. They moved into Frogmore Cottage in April 2019 and it remains their official UK residence today. 

A stone's throw away from Frogmore Cottage, Windsor Castle was where the couple introduced their newborn son to the world's media for the first time. Archie Harrison Mountbatten-Windsor was born on 6 May 2019 and was shown off to the world's media just two days later in St George's Hall, the location of Meghan and Harry's wedding reception.

In late November 2019, the new family spent six weeks in Canada for an extended Christmas break following their tour of South Africa. They soaked up the beauty of Vancouver Island in this $14 million (£10.9m) holiday home. The impressive waterfront mansion in North Saanich, owned by a mystery multimillionaire, is located in one of the most picturesque parts of the large isle.

The dream island home comprises an array of opulent bedrooms, with access to two beautiful beaches with stunning views across the peninsula. The main house sprawls across 11,416 square feet and includes five bedrooms and eight bathrooms, a smaller 2,349-square-foot guest house accommodates the other three bedrooms and two bathrooms.

Step inside the main house and you’ll find a spacious two-storey open living area, formal dining room, a wood-panelled office with a cosy fireplace and a chef’s kitchen with its own pizza oven. The property also includes a games room with a wet bar, a wine-tasting room and a media room.

The four-acre luxury gated property has its own stunning summer house and several acres of gorgeous gardens, so we can see why the couple chose this as their home for the holidays. To top it off, the amazing Canadian mansion overlooks the tranquil water below, making it the perfect scenic escape from the pair's busy lives in England.

Deciding not to head home for Christmas with the Queen and the rest of the royal family, the couple released this image of Harry and Archie spending time together on a stunning lakefront in Canada on their official Sussex Royal Instagram account. In January 2020, they announced they were stepping back as senior royals to become financially independent, revealing their plans to split their time between the UK and North America.

After their last official day as working royals on 31 March 2020, it was reported that the couple had relocated to Los Angeles. They decided to stay in a huge compound owned by actor and producer Tyler Perry, who they reportedly met through mutual friend Oprah. Tucked away in the Beverly Hills Post Office area of Los Angeles, the luxury mansion sits in the gated community of Beverly Ridge Estates.

Spanning just under 25,000 square feet, the plush temporary residence has eight bedrooms and 12 bathrooms and was custom-built by Perry at a cost of millions. The perfect place to stay with Archie while they hunted for a more permanent home, Meghan can be seen here reading him a story in one of the many gorgeous living areas.

In May 2020, the notoriously private couple decided to put up privacy screens around the mansion, after realising hikers could see into their home. The popular hiking route had reopened after Los Angeles' coronavirus restrictions were eased. Like many celebrities in lockdown, the couple's philanthropic projects had to take place online instead – Harry is pictured here in their rental home addressing a virtual global summit for his sustainable tourism project, Travalyst.

Settling on more permanent digs, Meghan and Harry purchased this multimillion-dollar estate in June 2020 for $14.7 million (£11.5m). Nestled in the heart of Montecito in California's Santa Barbara County, public documents reveal that the couple secured a $9.5 million (£7.4m) mortgage for the private home. 

Sold to them by Russian businessman Sergey Grishin, who bought the home in 2009 for $25.3 million (£19.8m) and had attempted to sell it a number of times over the past 10 years, he finally sold to Meghan and Harry for more than a $10 million (£7.8m) loss. 

Built in 2003, the amazing American estate offers a grand total of nine bedrooms and 19 bathrooms. The country-style master suite features a wooden-beamed ceiling, an ensuite bathroom and access to a private balcony with an ivy-covered pergola. 

Jam-packed with the most luxurious amenities, the home includes a library, gym, a sauna, home cinema, arcade, games room and a lift. Boasting wood-panelled walls and a huge TV, the regal entertainment space is a great spot for the young family to relax together.

Ideal for keeping two-year-old Archie amused, the extensive property also has a tea house and a children's cottage, as well as this elaborate play area that sits within the mansion's beautifully manicured grounds.

The incredible backyard features a tiered rose garden, an alfresco terrace and a large swimming pool, flanked by picturesque olive trees and Italian cypress trees. A full-size tennis court and a detached guesthouse are also found across the estate, ideal for hosting family and friends.

A stone's throw from the ocean, the laid-back neighbourhood, which is a two-hour drive from downtown Los Angeles, is the perfect place for the private family to escape the limelight. And as their brood grows, we're sure their Montecito mansion will be the scene of many happy family memories to come.

On Valentine's day 2021, the couple announced that they were expecting their second child, releasing this intimate photograph captured by Misan Harriman. Their newest addition was born on 4 June and named Lilibet 'Lili' Diana Mountbatten-Windsor. A family nickname for the Queen, Lilibet is a tribute to the baby's great-grandmother, while her middle name honours Harry's mother, the Princess of Wales. Said to be "settling in at home" according to the Sussexes' press secretary, Lili is eighth in line to the throne. We can't wait to see where Meghan and her growing family end up next!

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