The real reason behind Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's Portugal retreat

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle love returning to holiday in Portugal because Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet can "just be kids", it has been suggested.

The Sussexes spent much of their time this summer on a wide-ranging European trip that saw the family enjoy a seaside holiday in Portugal, reunite with King Charles and Queen Camilla at Highgrove House, and take Archie and Lilibet to visit Princess Diana's resting place at Althorp.

The journey marked a significant chapter for the family, with the Highgrove gathering on July 10 representing the first occasion in over four years that the monarch had spent time with his grandchildren.

Their first stop, though, saw the family head to Portugal for a low-key beach break.

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Portugal has long served as a cherished private sanctuary for the Sussex family.

The couple are believed to own a holiday property close to the CostaTerra Golf & Ocean Club on the Alentejo coast, though they have never confirmed this.

For Harry, it allows him to bring his family closer to the UK, as he continues to mend the fractured relationship.

What could help that even more is that his cousin, Princess Eugenie, and her husband, Jack Brooksbank, also own a house nearby. The couple split their time between the UK and Portugal after Mr Brooksbank accepted a job there four years ago.

But Portugal also offerswide-ranging benefits for the children.

A source told People: "They love Portugal because Archie and Lilibet can simply be kids. It's always very low-key with beach days, playing and spending time together as a family."

They added: "That kind of normal family time is really important to Harry and Meghan."

Crucially, the country sits around three hours by air from Britain - far closer than California.

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Amid Harry's ongoing security concerns, it allows the flexibility for the family to travel to the UK for the day.

Earlier this week, Meghan posted a carousel of holiday snaps to Instagram captioned "Summer holiday" with a sun emoji.

One image clearly shows a menu from O Melidense, a beachfront restaurant in the town sometimes referred to as the "Hamptons of Portugal."

Another photograph shows Harry, wearing a cap, tossing Lilibet into the air over a swimming pool.

The Sussexes have never publicly acknowledged their reported connection to the area.

This summer was significant for the Sussexes, after they reunited with King Charles and Queen Camilla at the monarch's private country estate in Gloucestershire - the first occasion in over four years that the King had spent time with his grandchildren.

It was just the third time father and son had met since the monarch's cancer diagnosis in 2024.

The Sussexes also made a deeply personal pilgrimage to Althorp, the Spencer family's ancestral home in Northamptonshire, where Diana was laid to rest following her death in 1997.

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