Local inhabitants of Portugal are pushing back against the latest property acquisition by Prince Harry and Meghan Markle. This purchase embodies the ongoing issue of public access being restricted to the loved coastline of Portugal.
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex’s recent purchase in the elite CostaTerra Golf and Ocean Club has intensified tensions between the wealthy newcomers and the residents who have lived there for many years.
Portuguese law used to prohibit limitations on public beach access. However, recent amendments now allow certain areas to be classified as private, leading to anger from the local populace.
A local resident of Melides, Bradley McGuiness, characterized the situation as a major regression for the Portuguese coast and a display of greed, condemning the development for seizing land and property from established residents. Another local expressed irritation over the opulent new compound, regretting the vast area of Portuguese land now claimed by the affluent, displacing ordinary locals who have built memories there over generations.
Diana Queiroz, another local, stated that she had frequented the area for many years and had camped there numerous times but could no longer do so due to the new development.
The 722-acre beachfront development, with properties starting at $4.7 million, marks a significant change in local land usage. Local councils have assigned certain beaches as private, effectively denying public access to sections of coastline that residents have freely enjoyed for many years.
The Discovery Land Company, established by multi-millionaire Mike Meldman, is set to develop 300 high-end homes. Residents have deemed it a “typical greed situation” that has taken away their traditional access to natural spaces.
The local business community has also expressed displeasure with the affluent enclave. “The rich from the resorts don’t eat with the poor,” commented one seafood restaurant owner, underlining the widening social divide.
A local real estate agent downplayed the royal couple’s impact on the area, stating they have “much richer and much more famous people buying here” and that the Sussexes will have “zero impact” on the community.
The Sussexes’ acquisition follows their 2023 eviction from Frogmore Cottage in Windsor by King Charles. Their new Portuguese property is located near a home owned by Harry’s cousin, Princess Eugenie, and her husband, Jack Brooksbank, who is employed in marketing and sales for the development company.
Industry experts suggest that the purchase could aid the couple in securing a “Golden Visa,” which grants visa-free access to the European Union’s Schengen area. The property supplements their real estate portfolio, which includes their primary residence in Montecito, California, valued at $19.5 million.
