Prince Harry and Meghan Markle are not winning any fans in Portugal with their recent real estate purchase. Locals slammed the Duke and Duchess of Sussex for joining the list of people they consider invaders. Residents of Comporta have been upset after their beloved coastline became an exclusive territory for the rich.
The conversion of a once-accessible area into a luxury beachfront resort began in 2019. Casamigos tequila co-founder Mike Meldman launched the project using his Discovery Land Company. The Comporta resort would reportedly feature 300 homes with prices starting at £3.6million. It not only offered stunning views of the Atlantic but various luxuries like an 18-hole golf course and a spa.
There was also an equestrian center, with Madonna‘s favorite stables, Cavalos na Areia, just around the corner. Princess Eugenie and her husband, Jack Brooksbank, currently own a holiday home at the resort. Their purchase seemed to have encouraged Prince Harry and Meghan to snap up a property at the site.
However, locals could not be more displeased by the growing number of celebrities in the area. “Worst thing to happen to the Portuguese coast, typical greed situation. Taking land and property from locals who have been enjoying it for years,” a Comporta resident, Bradley McGuiness, lamented. Another local, Andre Andrade, echoed similar sentiments, saying:
“I am very upset by this massive piece of Portuguese land destroyed for the rich, removed from the average local that had been creating memories in this place for generations and generations.”
Local Diana Queiroz recalled what the coastline was like before the rich swooped in. She told the Daily Record, “I have been going to this place for years. Camped there several times and, because of this company, this is no longer possible.”
The Law Previously Protected Locals in Portugal
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle would never have a stake in the Comporta resort without a new law. Locals were previously protected by a Portuguese law that deemed it illegal to restrict access to public beaches. Unfortunately, their rights were overturned following recent changes to the regulation.
The new rule allowed local councils and governmental entities to earmark particular stretches of sand as “private.” Therefore, several sites that were once community staples were sealed off by these political bodies. The locals hurt by the new regulation might as well join the Sussexes Survivors Club. The moniker recently made waves because of people claiming to be victims of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex.
Meghan received the brunt of the attacks, but she sparked increased hate with her take on the situation. Meghan described herself as one of the world’s most bullied people, citing online criticism and hate. We reported that many tore her claim apart, with journalist Neil Wallis arguing:
“She’s an appalling woman. The idea that you could sit there and say publicly ‘I am one of the most bullied people in the world’ to a bunch of 11-year-olds, I wonder what victims of domestic violence felt about that.”
How will Prince Harry and Meghan Markle respond to the displeased cries of residents in Portugal?
