Opinion | Harry and Meghan buying home in Portugal
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle are again in the headlines in Britain and the United States, this time for reportedly buying a holiday home in Portugal.
The people of Portugal will probably take little interest in Harry and Megan even though they are thought to have bought a home on the coast south of Lisbon.
Also known as the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, Harry and Meghan live mainly in California. He has been extraordinarily offensive to his now estranged father, King Charles, and brother, William, the Prince of Wales.
In January last year, King Charles told Harry and Megan to vacate the historic Frogmore Cottage in Windsor, the only place they had available to stay when they visited Britain.
A foothold in Portugal could enable them to be granted a Schengen visa, allowing them to travel to any of the 29 European Schengen countries that have officially abolished controls at their mutual borders.
Harry, aged 40, is thought to have bought his new holiday home in the same area as his 34-year-old friendly cousin, Princess Eugenie. She and her husband, Jack Brooksbank, 38, spend most of their time at the luxury Costa Terra Golf and Ocean Club in Melides, about 80 miles southeast of Lisbon on the west coast of the Alentejo region. Mr Brooksbank’s works in marketing and sales for the Costa Terra development comprising 300 properties in this beautiful location by the sea.
Harry’s welcome in the United States has been complicated by immigration rules. As a British citizen he is only allowed to remain for 90 days at a time because he has not yet been granted American citizenship.
He has no diplomatic or any other special status, no regular employment, and he pays no taxes. He is basically a visitor and does not own the mansion he and his wife occupy. A proper home in peaceful Portugal probably seems like a good idea.
Meanwhile, the football superstar Cristiano Renaldo is rarely out of the headlines for one thing or another. Most recently it is because of his “shocking” performance, “and his “antics” in a game against Scotland.
It’s has not been all good news recently for Cristiano Renaldo. He has been slammed for his “shockingly poor” performance for Portugal against Scotland and been accused of “holding Portugal back” in this “disastrous” game. He has also been heavily criticised by fans for his “antics” in storming off the pitch in Glasgow after the final whistle.
Ronald will not be too worried about any of this infamy. He has been the highest paid footballer in the world for the fourth year in a row. According to Forbes, he earned $285 million this year, most of it coming from his contract with a Saudi Arabian club. He has amassed over 200 million social media followers. The recent launch of his dedicated YouTube channel, UR Cristiano, attracted the most subscribers in a week with 50 million, making the total 65 million.
As he is turning 40 years of age in February, Renaldo’s football career is coming to an end, but he will continue to earn plenty for the rest of his lifetime through endorsement and sponsorship deals.
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Len Port, born in Northern Ireland, worked as a news reporter and correspondent, mainly in Hong Kong and South Africa, before moving to Portugal many years ago.
