Royal Family

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have left Los Angeles for greener pastures ... in the lush, super-exclusive city of Montecito ... and the Oprah connection seems undeniable.

Montecito realtors with knowledge tell TMZ, the couple went into escrow in July and the deal closed about a week ago.  We're told they spent around $10 mil, which got them a lot more house than they'd get in L.A.

It seems Oprah may have helped guide their path. We're told she helped put them in contact with Tyler Perry, who let them live in his Beverly Hills estate while they got their SoCal sea legs.

Oprah, who has a massive, incredible estate in Montecito and clearly loves it, has a connection to Harry ... they co-produced a documentary on mental health.

Montecito is a relatively small, quiet community near Santa Barbara. Interest in living there has exploded since the pandemic hit the U.S. Lots of people from L.A., Dallas and New York are picking up and moving there.

Lots of celebs live in Montecito, including Ellen, Scooter Braun, Dick Wolf, Drew Barrymore, Patrick Stewart, Rob Lowe and many others.

As for Meghan and Harry, we're told they bought a secure, gated estate. These properties have plenty of land ... in some cases up to 50 acres, although most of that is hillside. But, the properties have lots of flat land, so Archie can play away.

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle are pissed about a paparazzi shot of their son, Archie, which they say was snapped in their own backyard, so now they're suing ... TMZ has learned.

Harry and Meghan say they took extensive measures to ensure their privacy at their new home in the L.A. area -- including putting a large mesh fence around the property to guard against telephoto lenses. Still, according to the lawsuit ... an unnamed photog recently "crossed a red line for any parent" by shopping pics of Archie.

In docs, obtained by TMZ and filed by celeb lawyer Michael Kump, the former Royals say the photos are being shopped as if they were shot during a public outing in Malibu -- but they say Archie has not been anywhere in public, let alone Malibu, since they moved to Los Angeles. They say the photog is purposely lying about the location because the person knows "unsolicited photographs of a young child in the privacy of his own home are very much unlawful."

Sources connected to Meghan and Harry say the intrusion went down at Tyler Perry's Beverly Hills estate, where the former royals are staying. What makes that especially weird ... Tyler's house is in a gated community and he lives at the very farthest point from the front gate, making it especially hard for an intruder to go undetected.

But, Harry and Meghan say they do get intrusions by air. In the lawsuit, they say "some media outlets have flown drones a mere 20 feet above the house as often as three times a day." They also say helicopters do fly-overs, and some photogs have cut holes in their security fences.

Archie's Mom and Dad point out in the suit, it's their choice when and how they share photos of their boy -- and say they have posted pics of him on social media in order to reduce the "bounty" for paparazzi photos.

They're suing for invasion of privacy, and also want an order for the photog to turn over the photos. They don't know if anyone's purchased the shots yet, but they say they're putting all media on notice ... the photos were illegally taken, and not in Malibu.

Hey, Princess ... WANNA RACE?!!

Conor McGregor was rubbin' elbows with ROYALTY on the French Riviera on Monday ... racing water bikes with Princess Charlene of Monaco and the pics are awesome.

The two got in a workout while Conor and his family are in the area on vacation. Afterward, their families -- including Prince Albert -- hung out together on shore.

"A Great day racing the water bikes with Princess Charlene of Monaco," Conor said.

"A phenomenal athlete and Olympian, we are teaming up for a 180km voyage in September to raise awareness in water safety. I cannot wait!"

It's true ... Princess Charlene is one hell of an athlete herself -- a former Olympic and World Champion swimmer!

In fact, she competed for South Africa in the 2000 Olympic Games in the 4x100 relay, fishing behind Team USA (led by Olympic legend Amy Van Dyken).

She retired from competitive swimming in 2007 -- and now focuses on various philanthropic efforts including water safety and the Special Olympics.

McGregor was clearly impressed with the water bike workout -- saying he will now incorporate the exercise into his McGregor F.A.S.T. training program.

"Thank you for the great day for my family Your Highness," McGregor added ... "In aid of the Princess Charlene of Monaco foundation."

RAW EMOTION FROM HER MAJESTY THE QUEEN!!

It's true, Queen Elizabeth actually *giggled* during a conversation with a military member who moonlights as a member of the Jamaican bobsled team ... and the clip is great!

The monarch was having a video chat with members of the armed services -- including the Royal Army, Navy and Air Force ... when she began to assign questions to Lance Corporal Shanwayne Stephens.

When Her Majesty learned Stephens is the pilot of the bobsled team, she was so impressed, she let out a "Gosh!"

Stephens told her the plan is to compete in the 2022 Olympics -- and of course, the Queen asked how he's staying in shape during the COVID-19 pandemic.

"Unorthodox training methods," Stephens said ... "I’ve been pushing a car up and down the street."

THAT'S WHEN THE QUEEN LAUGHED!!!

"Well, I suppose that’s one way to train," she added.

FYI, Stephens later revealed the car he uses during his street training is his fiancee's Mini Cooper.

The Queen also wished the entire group the best of luck and said she enjoyed the conversation.

George Floyd's death gave Meghan Markle a central theme for her commencement address to her high school alma mater ... as she spoke to grads about fighting racism and being charitable.

Meghan delivered her speech, virtually, to the graduating class of 2020 at Immaculate Heart High School in Los Angeles, and said she was nervous about how she would address the tragic killing of Floyd. But, ultimately, “I realized, the only wrong thing to say is to say nothing. Because George Floyd’s life mattered, and Breonna Taylor’s life mattered, and Philando Castile’s life mattered."

She mentioned several other victims of police brutality. Meghan then reminded the grads about what she calls the most important lesson she learned at Immaculate Heart -- "Always remember to put others' needs above your own fears."

Meghan's message seemed to reference the nationwide protests in the wake of Floyd's killing ... and she encouraged the grads to be advocates and activists.

During her speech, she also talked about her experience growing up in L.A. during the 1992 Rodney King riots.

Clearly referring to racism, she told the graduating class, "I'm sorry you still have to grow up in a world where this is still present."

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle are still looking for a place to call home in L.A., because they can't stay at Tyler Perry's mansion forever, and they will have lots of options.

As we reported ... Harry and Meghan have budgeted $12 million to $18 million, and our real estate sources say they are the brass ring of potential clients. We know a bunch of them are already angling to rep the former royals.

We're told Harry and Meghan are looking on the westside of L.A., and the consensus is the following cribs are the big contenders.

This $15 million Bel-Air modern is an architectural gem, tucked away behind gates. Seven bedrooms should do the trick, and with 10,000 square feet, there's room to expand.

The atrium's amazing, with a curved staircase and ceilings that touch the skies. The floor plan is great because it seamlessly ties in the inside with the outside. The master bedroom is fit for a prince, with glass walls and a spa-like bathroom.

Oh, and there's a 10-seat movie theater, billiard table, 200 bottle wine cellar, plus an exercise and steam room. The grounds have an infinity pool and computerized rain bar. We're in.

Mauricio Umansky, the founder and CEO of The Agency, has the listing.

Next up, check out this $17,995,000 brand-new modern, Hollywood Hills estate with 5 bedrooms and 8,776 square feet, plus a 1,240-square-foot, multi-car garage.

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle are doing L.A. the right way, because there are few homes more spectacular than Tyler Perry's, and the entertainment mogul has opened his house up to the wayward couple.

Harry, Meghan and Archie have been staying at Tyler's $18+ million mansion in a super-exclusive gated community.

Tyler's home sits in Beverly Ridge Estates, which is riddled with celebs. The Tuscan-style home is insanely spacious -- 8 bedrooms, 12 bathrooms and pretty much every bell and whistle you can imagine. The Daily Mail first reported the story.

It's interesting ... the common connection between Harry/Meghan and Tyler seems to be Oprah. She's doing a mental health doc with Harry and could have forged the invite. BTW, Tyler's son's room is filled with a trunk of children's books from O herself, so Archie will enjoy some light reading.

We saw inside Tyler's house -- filming an episode of "Objectified," so check out the vid and you'll get a sense of the mansion.

As we reported, our sources say Meg and Harry are on the hunt for their own crib ... price range somewhere in the $12-15 million market.

Meghan Markle's baby boy, Archie, is growing up so fast ... it's already a struggle to get him to sit through an entire book. Welcome to toddler town, Meghan!!!

Prince Harry and Megan's firstborn just turned 1, and to celebrate ... Mum put him on her lap for a delightful reading of the popular children's book, "Duck! Rabbit!"

Papa Sussex was behind the camera to capture the adorable moment, but it wasn't long before Archie grew impatient. Meghan was eventually able to rein him back in though. If they think he's fussy now ... wait till he finds out Mom and Dad yanked him out of the royal life! Kidding, we're sure he'll love L.A.

In the end, we all learned something ... and the rebel Royals are reading for a good cause too. Meghan's storytime with her tot helped raise awareness and funds for Save with Stories, which provides learning material, supermarket vouchers and essential household items to families in need amid the coronavirus pandemic.

Good stuff all around ... happy birthday, Archie!!

Josh Altman -- one of the many realtors to the stars in Hollywood -- says Meghan Markle and Prince Harry are cream of the crop clients every agent is clamoring for right now -- but if they were under his wing, he'd have one key piece of advice for them ... gated or bust.

The 'Million Dollar Listing' star tells TMZ ... everybody in the real estate game in L.A. knows someone who knows the Sussex couple -- and every big shot realtor wants a bite at the Royal apple now that they're officially doing some home shopping in the City of Angels.

Josh says he isn't repping them himself, but if he was their agent, he'd strongly suggest getting a house that's tucked away and firmly secure, to keep paparazzi and other crazies away. He's got a neighborhood in mind for reference, which has two exits out of the gated community ... something he thinks they want.

As we've seen in the recent past ... Meg and Harry value their privacy, and have at times gone to great lengths to close themselves off -- even making threats when they feel it's being violated. It'll probably only get worse in La La Land, so maybe listen to Josh here.

TMZ broke the story ... sources with direct knowledge tell us Meghan and Harry are looking in Bel-Air and their range is $12 to $18 mil. It's unlikely they'd end up in a gated community in Bel-Air, but they'd almost certainly have a gated estate with security.

BTW, JA also talks about the housing market and what he thinks is going to happen once the coronavirus pandemic is under control. Long story short ... it's a great time to buy, so that means it'll probably be properties galore for the newbies in town too.

Meghan Markle and Prince Harry pled with Thomas Markle to stop blabbing to the media before their Royal wedding ... according to text messages sent by the Sussexes.

Meghan and Harry's pleas to Thomas leading up to their nuptials have just been made public in Meghan's lawsuit against an English tabloid, and the text messages spell out the family drama bubbling over before the ceremony.

According to legal docs, obtained by TMZ, Prince Harry texted Meghan's father 5 days before the wedding and 2 days after Thomas was caught staging photos with the paparazzi, saying ... "Tom, it's Harry and I'm going to call you right now. Please pick up, thank you."

Another text from Harry to Thomas reads ... "Tom, Harry again! Really need to speak to u. U do not need to apologize, we understand the circumstances but 'going public' will only make the situation worse. If u love Meg and want to make it right please call me as there are two other options which don't involve u having to speak to the media, who incidentally created this whole situation. So please call me so I can explain. Meg and I are not angry, we just need to speak to u. Thanks."

Remember, Thomas was awfully chatty with the press after it was announced he would not be attending the Royal wedding.

Another text from the Sussexes to Thomas says ... "Oh any speaking to the press WILL backfire, trust me Tom. Only we can help u, as we have been trying from day 1."

The docs also reveal texts Meghan sent to her father in May 2018, asking which hospital he was being treated for a heart attack and offering him protection.

Meghan wrote ... "I've been reaching out to you all weekend but you're not taking any of our calls or replying to any texts… Very concerned about your health and safety and have taken every measure to protect you but not sure what more we can do if you don't respond…Do you need help? Can we send the security team down again? I’m very sorry to hear you're in the hospital but need you to please get in touch with us… What hospital are you at?"

The Duchess followed up with another text telling her father she and Harry were "dispatching the same security guys you turned away this weekend to be a presence on the ground to make sure you’re safe."

The docs say Thomas rebuffed the offer, even though Harry "pleaded with Mr. Markle to let them help him."

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle quietly delivered food to needy folks in Los Angeles ... marking the couple's first public outing since moving to Hollywood.

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex have kept an extremely low profile since relocating from Canada to California last month, and they ventured out Wednesday for a very good deed.

Harry and Meghan wore caps and face coverings while dropping off meals to needy L.A. residents impacted by the coronavirus pandemic. Meghan took no chances with the virus, only touching surfaces with her gloved hand.

It's definitely not how you picture a Royal couple ... Harry and Meghan dressed super casually in pants and sneakers -- they looked like typical Postmates deliverers.

The Sussexes volunteered with Project Angel Food, an L.A. nonprofit that prepares and delivers medically tailored food to people suffering from chronic illnesses.

Our sources say Harry and Meghan dropped off the grub at a low-income housing unit for disabled and special needs residents and then made a few stops inside the building.

Welcome to the real Hollywood, where it ain't all glitz and glamour.

Meghan Markle and Prince Harry aren't moving to California just yet, despite reports they snapped up one of Mel Gibson's cribs, but from the looks of the place ... they might wanna reconsider.

There were reports last week the Sussexes bought Mel's $14.5 million mansion in Malibu. As you can see ... it's freakin' spectacular. However, our real estate sources have confirmed there's been no such deal.

The 5-bedroom beast of a home that has all the bells and whistles of prime real estate in L.A. ... plus access to a private beach club. The house has gone on and off the market several times over the years.

An L.A.-area real estate agent reportedly posted last week on social media that Harry and Megs sealed the deal, but then deleted that post. Seems someone got a little ahead of themselves, or it was just wishful thinking.

It wouldn't be a shocker if Harry and Meghan do buy something soon in the L.A.-area -- they both have deep ties in show biz these days. As we reported, Meghan just did the narration for Disney's new elephant documentary ... and Harry is producing a docuseries with Oprah Winfrey for Apple TV+.

Meghan Markle and Prince Harry's potential website for their new foundation is now owned by an Internet troll, who's using a Kanye West hit to send a pretty nasty message.

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex announced Tuesday they were planning a new nonprofit called Archewell Foundation, but apparently they didn't lock down at least one potential URL for a website. Instead, a cybersquatter scooped up archewellfoundation.com -- but there's nothing charitable about it now.

The anonymous owner linked it to Kanye's "Gold Digger" music video on YouTube. The troll's intent seems pretty clear ... passing judgment on Meghan's intent in marrying Harry.

It's a low blow ... especially considering Harry and Meghan plan to make their foundation a one-stop-shop educational and support site for a variety of charitable groups.

They still have other URL options -- such as a dot org -- so it's not a total lost cause -- but it's a hard lesson for the couple to learn as they venture out on their own without support from the Palace.

The Sussexes will have to step up their media game, especially if they come to Hollywood ... as many expect. You're swimming with sharks now, Harry!!!

Queen Elizabeth II just delivered an official palace address to the UK about the coronavirus pandemic -- her basic message ... hang in there, y'all!!!

We're being flip, but that's the gist of Her Majesty's broadcast speech. QE2 tells the British to maintain their resolve, keep their good humor and spirits about them and that together ... we'll all come out on the other side of this challenging time, across the pond and beyond.

You can watch the full speech above, but what's interesting about it is the historical nature of the Queen delivering remarks like this at all -- it rarely happens outside of Christmas.

Sunday's address marks just the fourth time Liz has spoken to the public in an official speech -- again, besides her annual Christmas talks -- during her 68-year reign as Queen of England. So yeah, it's a big deal she felt the need to talk now. The 'rona got to her!

One other interesting note ... according to Deadline, the Queen's speech here was filmed with just one cameraman in the room with her (fully decked out in protective gear) while the rest of the crew monitored and tinkered from other rooms in the building.

Meghan Markle got back on the bike by narrating a Disney nature documentary, and take a listen ... she didn't skip a beat.

Disney+ just dropped the Disney Nature documentary, "Elephant," narrated by Meghan, the Duchess of Sussex -- and the teaser just aired on 'GMA.' The doc, of course, is special to her. She's done a ton of work in the past to help elephants, and proceeds will go to help an org near and dear to her ... Elephant Without Borders.

Meghan narrates the migration of Shani and her family. The elephant family is tracked as they make a 1,000-mile, 8-month trek across Africa. Ya gotta listen reaaaal closely, 'cause it almost doesn't sound like Meghan. But, it's her.

As we reported ... Meghan's making her Hollywood comeback nearly a year after Prince Harry went to bat for Meghan when he pitched former Disney head Bob Iger.