Prince Harry and Meghan’s secret romantic break to Portugal after Invictus Games

Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex and Meghan, Duchess of Sussex at the 2023 Invictus Games. Photo / Getty Images

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex enjoyed a romantic three-night break in Portugal after attending the Invictus Games in Germany.

The couple are said to have flown from Dusseldorf to Lisbon before travelling an hour south to the coastal town of Melides, in the Alentejo region, in a “mega-secret” operation.

A source close to the Sussexes confirmed they had been to Portugal.

It is believed they stayed with Prince Harry’s cousin Princess Eugenie and her husband, Jack Brooksbank, who now split their time between London and the CostaTerra Golf and Ocean Club in Melides where Brooksbank, 37, works in marketing and sales at the resort in the Alentejo region

The Duke and Duchess have remained close to Princess Eugenie, 33, and her husband, who have visited them at their home in Montecito, California.

Portuguese magazine Nova Gente said the couple had flown to Portugal after the Invictus Games finished on September 16 in a “mega-secret operation”.

Meghan, 42, and Harry, 39, preferred not to publicise this “romantic getaway either through the press or through their social networks”, it said.

“They arrived in Portugal without their children and, as soon as they landed, they headed to Alentejo and more precisely to Melides.

Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex, and Meghan, Duchess of Sussex attend the closing ceremony of the Invictus Games 2023. Photo / Getty Images

“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.”

The planned extension to their trip may explain Meghan’s late arrival for the Invictus Games in Dusseldorf. She has previously said that settling the children and carrying out the school run had prevented her flying out earlier.

When Prince Harry travelled to the UK for the King’s Coronation, he also cut his visit short, flying straight back to California so he could kiss his son Archie goodnight on his fourth birthday, which fell on the same day.

The Sussexes are said to have left Portugal on September 20 on a BA flight to Heathrow, where they boarded an onward flight to Los Angeles to be reunited with their children, Prince Archie, 4, and Princess Lilibet, 2, who had remained at home.

“That morning they left for London from Lisbon’s Humberto Delgado Airport on a British Airways flight,” Nova Gente said.

“Accompanied by two bodyguards, they were the last to board BA flight 501 at 11am bound for London Heathrow Airport.

“The couple reached the plane in a white van carrying just them and their bodyguards.”

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle are close with Harry's cousin Eugenie and her husband Jack Brooksbank. Photo / AP

A witness quoted by the magazine said the couple had boarded “smiling slightly” and said the duchess, who was dressed all in black, looked “tired” with her hair tied up in a ponytail.

“Meghan wore a three-quarter-length sleeve dress, flat shoes and discreet make-up,” the magazine added.

“Harry opted for a T-shirt which was a colour between green and blue, jeans and trainers.”

A well-placed Portuguese source confirmed that the Sussexes had recently stayed in Melides, saying: “The reports coming out of Portugal are accurate.”

Nova Gente said it had not been able to establish if Princess Eugenie had been in the country at the same time.

Jose Santos, head of the Alentejo Tourism Board, confirmed that the Sussexes had enjoyed a “short stay” at the CostaTerra Golf and Ocean Club resort.

“I imagine they really enjoyed it and given their family relationship with the place, I am sure they will return to enjoy the wonders that this region has to offer,” he said.

“We have no idea how many people linked to cinema, royalty, arts, design and fashion visit us, precisely because they value discreet travel, which is something they find in Alentejo like nowhere else in Europe.”

CostaTerra Golf and Ocean Club is a 700-acre residential community owned by a company founded by Mike Meldman, one of George Clooney’s business partners in tequila firm Casamigos.

Brooksbank previously worked as a brand ambassador for Casamigos.

The Telegraph revealed in May that he and Princess Eugenie, who have two sons, August, 2, and Ernest, 4 months, would be dividing their time between Portugal and the UK after Brooksbank took up his new job.

According to its website, CostaTerra “offers a wide range of real estate options, from large estate homesites to contemporary coastal villas, turnkey club residences and custom luxury homes”.

It adds: “The combination of our unmatched environmentally thoughtful setting, family-focused experience-based lifestyle, and true exclusivity, make ownership here one of the rarest opportunities in Europe.”

It is understood Clooney and his wife, Amal, who attended the Sussexes’ 2018 wedding, are planning to buy a plot on the estate where property prices start at 4.2 million euros (NZ$7.4m).

It is believed that Princess Eugenie is continuing to work as a director for the London art gallery Hauser & Wirth on a hybrid basis, with the couple staying in Ivy Cottage at Kensington Palace when they are in the UK.