With its sweeping views of the Pacific Ocean, its majestic oak ceiling and its impeccably designed interior, it is undoubtedly a home fit for royalty.
And viewers of the Harry and Meghan Netflix series could be forgiven for assuming the pair were filmed at their £11million ($13million) mansion in Montecito, California.
But the Mail on Sunday can reveal that the luxurious setting was, in fact, a magnificent property even more expensive than their own – an “iconic” 27.3 million pound ($33 million), 13,599 square foot Montecito mansion , six bedrooms, which is currently for sale.
What is less known is that the mansion belonged to disgraced Quadriga Arts CEO Mark Schulhof, who was previously accused of pocketing $116 million in a fundraising scam targeting disabled veterans. .
Viewers of the Harry and Meghan Netflix series could be forgiven for assuming the couple was filmed at their £11million ($13million) mansion in Montecito, California.
According to the estate agent’s gushing description of 888 Lilac Lane (pictured) – a nine-minute drive from the real Sussexes’ home, which they bought in 2020 – the mansion used for filming has a lawn, d swimming pool, Wimbledon quality spa, private gym and cobbled walkways. It is owned by wealthy businessman and eco-activist Mark Schulhof
According to the estate agent’s gushing description of 888 Lilac Lane – a nine-minute drive from the real Sussex home, which they bought in 2020 – the mansion used for filming has a lawn, swimming pool , spa, private gym and Wimbledon quality pebble walkways.
Although the couple never claimed the Netflix show’s home was theirs, its interior, with its crystal chandeliers, 24-foot high ceilings and private cinema, has drawn plenty of comment.
The prestigious Architectural Digest magazine praised the mansion’s ‘great room’, ‘which is flooded with light from the double-height arched windows that line the back of the house’.
But others have criticized the couple for being “deaf” for being filmed in such a lavish home amid a global cost of living crisis.
A Hollywood producer said, “It felt a little deaf to shoot in such an opulent environment when there is so much suffering in the real world.”
Although the ‘locator house’ has its own chicken coop, like Meghan and Harry’s house, it does not match the Sussex mansion in one respect. It has 16 bathrooms, while Lilac Lane only has six.
Although the couple never claimed the Netflix show’s home was theirs, its interior, with its crystal chandeliers, 24-foot high ceilings and private cinema, has drawn plenty of comment.
The house is worth more than double the actual Sussex home in Montecito (above)
Critics lean on the fact that the house belonged to the man accused of orchestrating a $116 million scam against disabled veterans.
In 2014, New York Attorney General Eeric Schneiderman opened an investigation against Schulhof and Quadriga for creating a fake veteran named Arnie who suffered brain damage while serving in Afghanistan.
Schulhof and his company have been accused of sending fake mail to raise money for the charity Disabled Veterans National Foundation, where they allegedly pocket 90% of donations.
The investigation found that in 2008, Quadriga raised just $10.1 million on the books, but billed the charity $15.6 million for its services.
This caused the nonprofit to become indebted when Schulhof began offsetting 100% of fundraising efforts in order for the DVNF to repay its debt to fraudsters.
In its settlement with the Attorney General’s office, Quadriga agreed to pay $24.6 million to the DVNF.
The company was also ordered to write off a $13.8 million debt to the charity, as well as pay a $9.7 million fine and an $800,000 bill for the investigation. .
The total payments went directly to help the real veterans who were supposed to get the help in the first place.