Prince Harry and Meghan Markle had quite an eventful Christmas season last year.
According to TMZ, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex’s mansion in Southern California was invaded by an intruder twice over the holiday season. Authorities first busted Nickolas Brooks for trespassing on the $14.65 million pad in Montecito on Christmas Eve, but the Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office let him off with a stern warning.
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Obviously, Brooks didn’t take the reprimand seriously as he showed up on the property again just two days later! This time, though, the 37-year-old man got arrested and charged with one count of misdemeanor trespassing. Sources told TMZ that Brooks drove from Ohio to the California lodge. However, it was unclear why he went to the home or if the famous couple were there at the time.
The news of the royal breach is especially scary after Meghan and Harry recently expressed their concern for the family’s safety during the explosive interview with Oprah Winfrey last week. In case you missed it, the 36-year-old prince revealed Buckingham Palace withdrew their security detail after they stepped down as senior members of the royal household and moved to Canada. Harry said the royal family’s security was revoked because of their “change in status,” adding:
“The biggest concern was while we were in Canada, in someone else’s house, I then got told, short notice, that security was going to be removed.”
Unfortunately, their location in Vancouver was released to the public at the time. As one could guess, the incident caused a ton of worries for Harry.
“At this point, everyone knew, thanks to the Daily Mail, our exact location. So suddenly, it dawned on me: ‘Hang on. The borders could be closed. We’re going to have our security removed. Who knows how long lockdown is going to be. The world knows where we are. It’s not safe, it’s not secure. We probably need to get out of here.’”
Luckily for them, Tyler Perry offered his $18 million Beverly Hills home and security when the pair eventually moved to the Los Angeles area. Harry then went on to discuss how the duo’s lucrative deals with Netflix and Spotify were needed to cover their protection after leaving the UK, before adding:
“I’ve got what my mum left me, and without that, we would not have been able to do this.”
The Brit reportedly inherited around $13 million on his 30th birthday. As you may know, Harry and Meghan purchased the nine-bedroom, 16-bathroom residence last summer. At the time, a spokesperson told People the couple moved to the Montecito locale for its promise of privacy.
“The Duke and Duchess of Sussex moved into their family home in July of this year. … They have settled into the quiet privacy of their community since their arrival and hope that this will be respected for their neighbors, as well as for them as a family.”
Wow… The new report definitely adds some legitimacy to Meghan and Harry’s intense concerns over security following their departure from the UK. No wonder why they stressed it so much in the interview! This situation had to be horrifying for them — and probably felt like their worst nightmare was coming true.
Okay, Perezcious readers, let us know your thoughts in the comments (below)!
[Image via Lia Toby/WENN]
The post Prince Harry & Meghan Markle's Montecito Mansion Reportedly Invaded By An Intruder TWICE Over The Holiday Season! appeared first on Perez Hilton.
