Harry and Meghan’s recent appearance at an exclusive Hollywood club has been described a ‘bold move’ by a fellow member – who pointed out that the royal couple chose not to use the private celebrity door, reports Page Six.
The Duke, 38, and Duchess, 41, of Sussex, visited San Vicente Bungalows, in West Hollywood, the same day it was revealed that the couple had been asked to vacate Frogmore Cottage earlier this month.
Photographs of the couple show the couple smiling as they arrived at the club, which is reportedly a favourite among the rich and famous of Hollywood, in early March.
Despite claims that the couple were ‘furious’ over the Frogmore news, Meghan beamed as she made her way out of the couple’s chauffeured SUV, wearing a beige $1,610 Carolina Herrera cape coat accesorised with a pair of black $625 Christian Dior high heels.
Meanwhile, her husband Harry looked casual in a pair of dark-wash jeans, navy sneakers, a navy sweater and a gray tweed blazer as he exited the car and made his way to the front door of the club, which is located a four-hour roundtrip away from the $14.7 million Montecito mansion he shares with Meghan and their children Archie, three, and Lilibet, one.
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle (both pictured) arrive at San Vicente Bungalows, in West Hollywood in early March
But a source, described as a ‘fellow club member’ at San Vicente, told Page Six that the establishment boasts a private door that well-known people can use if they want to avoid attention.
Describing the visit as a ‘bold move’, they added: ‘I know that San Vincente has a back door for celebrities, so no one needs to see you coming and going. They’re really all about privacy.
‘They have way bigger stars than Harry and Meghan coming in and no one will ever know they’re there. But Harry and Meghan said, “we’re fine” and that they didn’t need to use it. And even when they left, they used the main entrance.’
Their couple’s upbeat demeanor appeared somewhat at odds with reports that had surfaced just moments before their arrival in which it was claimed that Meghan and Harry are being evicted from Frogmore Cottage – their only home in the UK – by King Charles.
According to Page Six, the pair were issued with an eviction notice by Buckingham Palace just 24 hours after the release of Prince Harry’s bombshell memoir Spare, in which he made several very damaging accusations against his family members, including claims that his brother, Prince William, threw him to the ground during a fight.
His Majesty initially gave his son and daughter-in-law ‘weeks’ to pack up their grace-and-favour British home in the grounds of Windsor Castle after Harry released his memoirs, it was claimed, however a friend of the couple said that the deadline for their move has now been extended until ‘after the Coronation’ in May.
After the reports about their eviction were published, the couple’s favored royal reporter Omid Scobie published an article in which he quoted a close friend of the couple, who alleged that they viewed the eviction as a ‘final and very cruel punishment’ by Charles.
‘It’s like [the family] want to cut them out of the picture for good,’ the insider continued. ‘Harry and Meghan have until early summer to vacate. Initially they were given just weeks, but now they have at least until after the coronation.’
Despite the couple reportedly being told they had to vacate Frogmore Cottage, they appeared happy as they were snapped later that day (pictured: Meghan Markle at San Vicente Bungalows)
King Charles reportedly offered the keys to Frogmore to Harry’s disgraced uncle Prince Andrew – who is apparently ‘resisting’ because he wants to stay in his larger Windsor Royal Lodge where he pays a reported $300-a-week for a state-subsidized 30-room mansion complete with 98 acres of land and a swimming pool.
The Sussexes have reportedly started planning how to move their belongings to California, including an ornate ottoman bench and a chaise longue from the home they lived in until Megxit and stayed at following the Queen’s death last September.
Scobie has said that at least two members of the Royal Family are ‘appalled’. He did not name them but the Sussexes are known to be close to Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie.
However, the couple did not appear to show any sign of strain as they arrived at the west Hollywood club, which is said to offer a cloak-and-dagger level of privacy – one of the reasons it has become so popular with stars who wish to let loose without worrying about who might be watching.
Frogmore Cottage (pictured) was home to Harry and Meghan until they stepped down as working members of The Firm in 2020
The venue is known for implementing incredibly strict privacy rules and many of its inner workings are shrouded in secrecy – save for the eye-watering $4,200-a-year membership fee for anyone over the age of 35. Those under that age are treated to a relatively cheaper price of $1,800 a year.
For that sky-high price, members are afforded the utmost privacy; guests are forced to cover the camera lens on their phone with a sticker upon their arrival, are banned from speaking or posting about the venue on social media, and photography and videography of any kind is prohibited within the club.
‘Posting images of the club on social media or discussing anything that members and their guests witness during their visit is also strictly forbidden,’ reads SVB’s website.
The comments about the Sussexes come amid reports that the Sussexes would like to be part of the ‘special family moment’ when members of the royal family gather on the balcony at Buckingham Palace at the King’s coronation next month.
The Sussexes (pictured at Queen Elizabeth’s Platinum Jubilee last year) are thought to want Prince Archie’s fourth birthday, which is the same day as the coronation, to be recognised in some way
According to a source, the couple, who have not yet confirmed they will attend the event, are hoping to be at the celebrations, and would like Prince Archie’s birthday to be recognised in some way during the during the day.
Sources also suggested they would also like to be included in some way when members of the royal family appear on the balcony at Buckingham Palace following the ceremony.
Typically, balcony appearances are reserved for working members of the royal family, however it has been reported the couple believe they should be a part of that ‘special family moment’.
A source told OK! earlier this month that discussions are ongoing about the Duke and Duchess’s involvement in the coronation, including the question of whether they and their children, Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet, will appear on the balcony.
They said that the question is a ‘sticking point’ because typically, non-working royals don’t appear, however they added: ‘Harry and Meghan are keen that they too should be a part of that special family moment.’
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