The Duke and Duchess of Sussex are moving to the UK this month with Prince Archie, 7, and Princess Lilibet, 5, ending a six-year run in California that began when they stepped back from royal duties in 2020.

The children are set to start school in Britain in September, and the couple plans to set up a new, private residence there, its location being kept under wraps.

King Charles was informed of the move over the weekend. Harry and Meghan have said they intend to hold onto both the Montecito estate and their vacation property in Portugal rather than sell either, but the numbers on the California house make that pledge look shaky.

Santa Barbara County records show the Sussexes’ company, Rockbridge LLC, bought the 7.38-acre estate for $14.65 million on June 9, 2020.

Three days later, the company took out a $9.52 million loan from City National Bank. It’s an adjustable-rate mortgage, starting at 2.49 percent and capable of climbing as high as 7.49 percent once it resets in July 2030.

With no refinance on the books, The Post calculated that loan alone runs somewhere between $40,000 and $43,000 a month on a standard 30-year term. That’s north of $480,000 a year before taxes, insurance or a single gardener gets paid, on a house the family is about to visit far less often.

Santa Barbara County isn’t cheap either. The estate’s 2025 property tax bill came to $149,668, on an assessed value of $14.38 million — a number that ticks up nearly every year under California’s Prop 13 rules.

County records show the couple’s company bought the 7.38-acre estate for $14.65 million in 2020, financed with a $9.52 million adjustable-rate mortgage that runs an estimated $40,000 to $43,000 a month. Google Earth

County tax history obtained by The Post shows the bill climbing every year the Sussexes have owned the home, from $138,629 in 2021-2022 to $141,645, then $144,229, then $146,930, before landing at this year’s $149,668.

Add those five years together and Harry and Meghan have paid out roughly $721,000 in property taxes alone since the assessment settled at their purchase price, on top of everything else the mortgage already costs them.

Then add insurance, groundskeeping across nearly eight acres and the family’s security detail, and the fixed cost of owning the place likely clears well over $650,000 a year before anything else.

That’s a hefty number to carry even by Hollywood standards, and Harry and Meghan’s Hollywood income has been getting harder to come by, alongside the eight-figure sum he might have to pay out to a British newspaper company after he lost his legal case against them.

“I cannot imagine ever wanting to let go of this beautiful piece of property, but hanging onto it comes at a steep cost, so they might have to,” the source said.

“It likely will be a few months before they list, or maybe they will give the UK a year first to see how that plays out,” the source added. “But if they do decide to plant roots in the UK, I don’t see a world where they will keep this home.”

They’ve also paid roughly $721,000 in property taxes since the assessment settled at their purchase price, with insurance, grounds upkeep and security pushing total fixed costs past $600,000 a year. meghan/Instagram

Zillow values the home at $30.5 million and Redfin at $55.8 million, meaning a sale would still net the couple a massive profit. The Grosby Group / BACKGRID

Streatfeild meanwhile, said he’s fielded plenty of questions about what the estate would actually fetch on the open market.

“Everyone’s kind of asked me what I think the property is worth, what they would list it for and what it would sell for,” Streatfeild told The Post. “It’s a beautiful ocean view estate on seven acres with about 18,000 square feet. Nine bedrooms and 17 bathrooms, with the pool, tennis court, and beautiful grounds.”

“In Montecito, there’s been three sales this year above $50 million,” Streatfeild said. “So I would expect a home like this to be listed in the range of $75 million. And I would expect it to sell somewhere between $65 and $55 million based on what it has to offer in its location.”

The home’s history makes the couple’s timing look especially fortunate in hindsight.

“When they purchased it for $14.7 million in 2020, it had been on the market for five years and was originally listed for $34.5 million in 2015,” Streatfeild said.

Meghan Markle cooking in her kitchen. @aseverofficial/Instagram

Meghan Markle seen inside her home office on August 4, 2021. ZUMAPRESS.com

“The demand for Montecito has exploded and the average sales price is just about doubled since they purchased the property,” Streatfeild added. “I would think they have advisors that would let them know approximately what the home is worth.”

“By comparison, Adam Levine’s property sold for $60 million, and it’s 13,000 square feet on three acres, and this is 18,000 feet on seven acres,” he said.

Their Netflix documentary “Cookie Queens,” which Meghan personally promoted ahead of its release, opened to between $328,000 and $354,000 at the box office, trailing “CatVideoFest 2026,” a compilation of cat videos playing in a third as many theaters.

The couple’s five-year, $100 million production deal with Netflix also wound down without a full renewal, replaced by a smaller first-look arrangement.

Meghan’s As Ever lifestyle brand has its own crisis brewing. A website glitch in January reportedly revealed roughly 650,000 unsold units sitting in inventory, and insiders have estimated the potential write-off on unsold jam alone at around $5 million once the perishable stock passes its sell-by date.

Royal Family Made a Grave Mistake With This Meghan Markle & Prince Harry Move — Expert

Meghan Markle and Prince Harry’s royal exit reportedly cost the monarchy more than family peace. The Duchess of Sussex and the Duke originally wanted a part-time working role. However, that option was rejected after their 2020 split from senior duties. A former BBC royal correspondent has now argued the royal family lost two people who could have helped the Crown. She said they “should have been allowed” that middle path.

Meghan Markle and Prince Harry’s exit cost royal family a huge loss, per expert

As per an iNews report, Jennie Bond addressed Prince Harry’s possible UK return. She wrote that Harry wanted “more frequent trips” and “less drama.” Bond also said next year could become a flashpoint. It marks the 30th anniversary of Princess Diana’s death. She noted several events were expected through The Diana Award. The question, she wrote, was whether William and Harry would stand together.

Meanwhile, Bond said Harry may now be nearing his original goal. She pointed to charity events, Ukraine visits, and future Invictus Games plans. The former royal correspondent wrote he might have found “a way of doing traditional royal engagements.” She added that this happened even though he was not part of “the firm.” Bond then said it was something Prince Harry and Meghan Markle “should have been allowed” from the start.

However, Bond said Queen Elizabeth II had been “implacable” about the Sussexes’ half-in, half-out plan. She argued the royal family then lost a major asset. Bond wrote that the monarchy lost “two people” who could have built links with “Britain’s diverse communities.” She also added, “William lost his brother.” The Royal Observer reported that Harry and Meghan had since managed similar public-facing work. It cited his recent UK family trip and Invictus Games countdown event. For Meghan Markle, Prince Harry, and the royal family, Bond framed the rejected deal as both a public loss and a private rupture.