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It turns out even Netflix can’t get Meghan Markle to open her front door.

The Duchess of Sussex may promise an “at home” feel in her lifestyle series “With Love, Meghan”, but that sunlit kitchen and cozy dining table on screen? They’re inside a $9.5 million rental — not the $14.7 million Montecito, California, estate she shares with Prince Harry, Prince Archie, and Princess Lilibet.

In an interview with People magazine, Meghan explained why her Netflix series — which premiered March 4 — was filmed in a nearby rental that mirrors the style of her own home. “I wanted to protect that safe haven,” she said. “We’re a close-knit family, and I love those moments—putting Lili down for a nap, having lunch together, having sacred time together at the end of the day.”

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With a production crew topping 80 people, opening her actual kitchen wasn’t an option. “Our kitchen is where Mama just cooks for the family, and with a crew of 80-plus people, that’s a lot of people to have in your house!” Meghan said.

She and Prince Harry, who married in 2018, purchased their Santa Barbara County property in 2020 after stepping back from royal duties. In a 2022 interview with The Cut, Meghan shared how a unique palm tree on the grounds caught their attention during the first tour — a symbol, perhaps, of the privacy and peace they were looking for.

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That sense of privacy explains why the on-screen version of “home” is actually someone else’s. According to Realtor.com, Meghan’s first season was shot at a nearby four-bedroom, 4.5-bathroom property owned by local philanthropists Tom and Sherrie Cipolla. The couple purchased it for $4.7 million in 2017, and it’s now valued at about $9.5 million. The location proved such a good fit that she returned to it for season two, rather than move production into her family’s actual residence.

Netflix’s official description promised an “at home”-style experience with the former actress, so some viewers raised eyebrows when they learned the backdrop wasn’t her real house. But for Meghan, that boundary seems non-negotiable. The Montecito estate is where Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet play, where family dinners happen without an audience, and where — as she puts it — the day ends in “sacred time together.”

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For fans tuning in, the shift may not matter much. The rental property, with its sunlit kitchen, manicured gardens, and airy interiors, delivers the warm, aspirational vibe the show promises. And for Meghan, keeping her home off-limits preserves something even more valuable than a picture-perfect shot: the sanctuary she says keeps her grounded.

As “With Love, Meghan” readies its second season, one thing seems clear — the Duchess is happy to share her California lifestyle, as long as the cameras know where to stop.

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This article Meghan Markle Refuses To Film Netflix Show Inside Her Montecito Home, Instead Returns to $9.5 Million Rental to ‘Protect That Safe Haven’ originally appeared on Benzinga.com