Meghan Markle's return to UK could become a reality after close pal's decision

A close A-list pal of Meghan, Duchess of Sussex could be saying saying goodbye to the US for good after the results of the recent presidential election.

Ellen DeGeneres is reportedly planning to swap the sunshine of her Montecito mansion for the picturesque Cotswolds, which has many famous residents, in a shocking reversal of Meghan and Harry's royal exit nearly five years ago.

Ellen, 66, and her wife actress Portia De Rossi, 51, are reported to have already purchased a luxurious mansion in the Cotswolds - an area which is close to Harry and Meghan's former home, and a place many of the Royal Family maintain residences, including King Charles's Gloucestershire residence of Highgrove House.

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Back when Meghan and Harry lived in Frogmore Cottage, Ellen is said to have visited the couple and even helped chip in with one of Prince Archie's feeds when he was only a baby - and seems to have spent a significant amount of time in rural parts of the UK more recently. She and Portia were spotted only last week at Jeremy Clarkson's pub The Farmer's Dog where they spent time in the company of musician James Blunt - and last year Ellen was reported to have attended a lavish party in a stately Oxfordshire home.

The former chat show host and her wife are said to be poised to sell their own Montecito mansion after buying a UK property, and while the Sussexes show no signs of leaving the sunshine of California behind just yet - Harry and Meghan are reported to have recently bought a home in Portugal, the first home they will have had this side of the Atlantic since they were "evicted" from Frogmore Cottage in 2023 and handed back the keys.

Ellen and Portia were recently seen at Jeremy Clarkson's Cotswolds pub
(Image: instagram.com/thefarmersdogpub)

The Cotswolds are deemed by many to be one of the most picturesque parts of the UK, and the rolling hillside that makes up the area spans several counties including Wiltshire, Somerset, Warwickshire, Oxfordshire, and Gloucestershire, amongst others. It is also home to a rural version of the members club Soho House that both Meghan and Harry are members of, and stayed at during their early courtship.

Ellen and her wife Portia are said to be "very disillusioned" by Trump's recent victory and the couple intend to "get the hell out" of the United States, the Daily Mail reports.

According to People magazine, Meghan became fast friends with Ellen after they happened to bump into each other at a dog shelter when the chat show host and comedian encouraged Meghan to adopt a dog there.

"Ellen goes 'Is that your dog?' And I said, 'No,' and she's like, 'You have to take that dog.' And I said, 'Well, I'm deciding.' And she's like, 'Rescue the dog!' " Meghan has explained. "It's sort of like if Oprah tells you to do something. I'm sitting there holding him and she's like 'Have you thought of a name for him yet?' And I said, 'Well, I think I'd name him Bogart,' and she's like 'You're taking the dog home.'" Meghan jokingly added, "So I brought him home. Because Ellen told me to."

Ellen and Meghan are said to have been friends for a long time
(Image: PA)

The two women have been neighbours as well as pals for several years now, and Meghan appeared on Ellen's chat show back in 2021 before it went off the air.

Amid controversy about staff treatment, The Ellen DeGeneres Show ended after 19 years in 2022 after 36 staff members complained about incidents that created a "toxic workplace" the year before.

Ellen joked that she had been "kicked out of show business", but the controversy somewhat echoed the allegations of bullying made against Meghan with her own members of staff while a working royal - something she has denied and a statement made on her behalf, branding it a "calculated smear campaign."

Whether Ellen's new base in the Cotswolds will be enough to persuade Meghan and Harry to quit Montecito too seems unlikely, but the presence of her close pal in her former home might be an enticement for the Duchess to return more regularly to the UK for visits.

Do you have a story to tell? Email: emma.mackenzie@reachplc.com

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