Meghan Markle and Prince Harry have reportedly purchased a new home in Portugal – with plans made behind the scenes over their surprise decision.

Meghan and Harry have reportedly purchased a new home in Portugal (Image: GETTY)

Meghan Markle and Prince Harry’s move to Portugal has been described by a royal commentator as a way for the couple to boost their “rival royals” plan.

This comment comes just one day after news surfaced that the couple have purchased a new home in Portugal – somewhere where Princess Eugenie and Jack Brooksbank spend half of their time.

Taking to the Daily Mail’s royal newsletter, the newspaper diary editor Richard Eden claimed that the couple, who now reside in California, may have a major motive behind their decision with the purchase – a plan “to become the ‘rival royals’ across the water”.

Kensington Palace reportedly said, around the time that Harry and Meghan announced their engagement in 2017, the now Duchess of Sussex would get a British citizenship in due course. However, this bid was “eventually abandoned” when the couple stepped down as senior working royals and moved to the US, Mr Eden claimed.

He continued: “Acquiring a Golden Visa would help Meghan as she and her husband develop their plans to become the ‘rival royals’ across the water, enabling them to travel easily through European countries. We have already seen them undertake ‘quasi royal’ tours of Nigeria and Colombia.”

Speaking of Eugenie and Jack, he added: “And it may be that Harry’s cousin Princess Eugenie and her husband, Jack Brooksbank, who also own a Portuguese property, join their rival royal court.”