PRINCE Harry and Meghan Markle gave us another sneak glimpse inside their California mansion yesterday.
The royal, 37, appeared in a video clip shot in his study to push his eco-travel brand’s new campaign and praise New Zealand as a country of “sustainability pioneers”.
Like much of the Sussexes’ £11m Montecito home, the previously unseen room is painted in a neutral earth tone.
There’s an abstract painting on the wall and a trio of wooden rustic candlesticks sit on a console table behind Harry.
Eagle-eyed fans will have also spotted a pile of green books which could be seen as a not-so-subtle nod to the Duke’s eco-warrior credentials.
So what does the couple’s choice of decor say about them? Here interior design expert Georgina Burnett, who has featured on This Morning and vlogs for The Home Genie, lifts the lid.
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‘Showy’ study
Meghan, 40, treated us to a look inside her home office on her 40th birthday last year, when she launched a new charity initiative.
But Georgina points out that the study looks more for show than a place where actual work happens. For a start, Meghan’s laptop is positioned on a towering pile of books.
Georgina tells HOAR: “So much of the room is colour-coordinated, but we don’t see much storage or clutter which you might expect in a well-used study environment.
“The chair is not appropriate for working at such a table, which suggests it is not used frequently and is more of a statement of someone needing a place to represent their pride in their career achievements.
“The chunkiness and general bulk of the table, and its position facing into the room intimates Meghan’s work-life is of great importance to her and she wants anyone who steps into that office to recognise this.”
Georgina notes that Meghan’s study has an “interesting mix of textures”.
“Generally stone is considered quite cold and yet it has a warm appearance here, with it’s slightly rough around the edges finish in a clotted cream colour,” she says.
“There is a great attempt to warm up the room and make it feel inviting, with the dog bed – and the strategically placed dog itself – the rug and the tree in the corner.
“The striking contrast of the black window frames demonstrates a person who is not afraid to stand out.”
‘Need for control’
Meghan’s surprise appearance on American’s Got Talent offered an insight into one of the mansion’s multiple living rooms.
Georgina says the fact the artwork behind her is “hung with perfect symmetry” usually intimates “a need to be in control”.
She adds: “It’s also rather rustic and imperfect in its style, as are the haphazard cushions and bowls in the background.
“So either we have the compromise of different characters within the relationship influencing the interiors, or there is an individual desire to fight against a need for perfection.”
‘Missing home’
Harry’s Apple TV series – The Me You Can’t See – about mental health revealed another of the couple’s lounges.
Georgina suggests the room’s dark wood furnishings are comforting for Harry as they’re more in-keeping with the type of homes he grew up in across the pond.
She observes: “Again we have a very safe, neutral space here, and another comfortable-looking sofa, which shows that getting cosy is important to this couple.
“The more traditional dark wood of the ceiling, beams and cabinet in the background are maybe more in-keeping with what Harry had grown up with and is perhaps comforting for him in its familiarity.”
Soothing simplicity for ‘troubled minds’
By contrast, Harry and Meghan’s choice of cream and beige colour schemes throughout and a minimalist layout indicates a rebellion against the royal’s stuffy upbringing.
Georgina says the room in which Harry shot his interview with Oprah Winfrey for Apple TV is “quite simple and modern – and very different to what you would find in Buckingham Palace”.
“Simple interiors like this can be very soothing to troubled, overworked minds,” she adds.
“The greenery in the background, the natural flooring – and plants in many of the rooms – also indicate a desire for mental wellbeing.
“The window frames are a little more oppressive though, and almost feel like they are shutting out the world.
“Through the window, again we see a dichotomy of perfect angles, but also random stone features indicating a need to break free from harsh lines.”
Escapism
A scene from the couple’s explosive interview with Oprah in March 2021 showed them in their garden – in particular their chicken coop.
“She’s always wanted chickens,” Harry told the chat show host.
Georgina suggests this is a place in their home where the couple come to “get away from it all”.
She adds that their garden – more of which was revealed in a video shot for Time magazine ahead of the US election – looks “surprisingly British”.
“It’s very green and not necessarily pristine, with messy bushes and a rustic bench,” Georgina says.
“It shows a respect for the power of nature and that greenery is very important to them.
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“Being around animals is known to be very good for mental health, so I can imagine the bench is a place to sit when some soul searching or nurturing is needed.”
Read more about Georgina’s work here.
