Prince Harry and Meghan Markle make ‘mega-secret’ royal visit

The Duke and Duchess pulled off a hugely clandestine operation to see a royal family member during a ‘romantic escape’ in Europe.

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle pulled off a “mega-secret operation” for a romantic weekend in Portugal after the Invictus Games.

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex made the short jaunt to the Iberian Peninsula to see Princess Eugenie and her husband Jack Brooksbank, according to witnesses at a luxury Portugal resort.

The royal cousin, who splits her time between London and the CostaTerra Golf and Ocean Club, has remained a staunch ally of Prince Harry and Ms Markle even as their feud with King Charles and Prince William continues to fester.

“They arrived in Portugal without their children and as soon as they landed, they headed to Alentejo and more precisely to Melides,” said Portuguese magazine Nova Gente.

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle in Germany before leaving for a ‘romantic escape’ in Portugal. Picture: Getty Images

Princess Eugenie’s husband works in marketing and sales at the Melides resort, with Portuguese witnesses saying they left Lisbon’s Humberto Delgado Airport on a commercial British Airways flight to Heathrow, to connect to Los Angeles, on September 20.

“After the Invictus Games finished, on Saturday, September 16, the couple headed to our country for a lightning trip,” Nova Gente reported in their cover story.

“And with the reserve that has characterised them since they abdicated their royal duties in 2020, Meghan and Harry preferred not to publicise, either through the press or through their social networks, this ‘romantic getaway’.”

Portuguese magazine Nova Gente, or “New People”, revealed the “mega-secret operation”. Picture: Nova Gente

Prince Harry didn’t see his father or brother while in London during the first anniversary of the Queen’s death, and his return for a connecting flight is another missed opportunity for the feuding family to reconnect.

The couple, who arrived at the plane in a white van, were accompanied by two bodyguards and were the last to board BA flight 501 at 11am local time.

Passengers at the Lisbon airport told the magazine that the couple boarded the flight “smiling slightly”, while the Duchess appeared “tired” and had her hair tied back in a ponytail.

“Meghan wore a three-quarter `length sleeve dress, flat shoes and discreet make-up,” the magazine added.

“Harry opted for a T-shirt which was a colour between green and blue, jeans and trainers.”

Princess Eugenie and husband Jack Brooksbank with Prince Harry at the coronation ceremony of King Charles III. Picture: AFP

The magazine’s sources confirmed that the Duke and Duchess of Sussex stayed in Melides, where Mr Brooksbank works at the 700-acre residential community where the UK’s Telegraph revealed in May that Princess Eugenie would be dividing her time with sons August, 2, and Ernst, four months.

“The reports coming out of Portugal are accurate,” a Portuguese insider told the outlet.

Jose Santos, president of the Alentejo region’s Tourism organisation, added to The Daily Mail that Harry and Meghan were at the CostaTerra Golf and Ocean Club resort.

“I imagine they really enjoyed it and given their family relationship with the place, I am sure they will return to enjoy the wonders that this region has to offer,” he said.

Originally published as Prince Harry and Meghan Markle make ‘mega-secret’ royal visit