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Mystery solved after human bones found near Harry and Meghan's home

Watch: Bones found near Prince Harry and Duchess Meghan's home

Human bones found near the California home of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have been confirmed as belonging to a "Native American male" after expert analysis.

Police in Santa Barbara said some human bones were found in Montecito at the end of May, during some landscaping work in Riven Rock Road.

Now after forensic analysis they have been able to confirm the remains belong to a Native American, but said they could not determine how old the man was when he died.

Previously they thought the bones were of a "small sized adult".

In a statement, Raquel Zick, the spokesman for the sheriff's department said: "On Thursday, June 3, 2021, the remains were examined by a forensic anthropology consultant, Dr. Rick Snow at the Coroner’s Bureau in Santa Barbara.

"Dr. Snow also visited the residence where the remains were found to ensure that there were not any additional unearth remains or artefacts.

"After his examinations, Dr. Snow concluded that the remains are those of a Native American male of unknown age.

"The remains that were collected are not a complete skeleton, most of the bones are fragmented and a majority of the bones from the hands and feet are missing."

BATH, UNITED KINGDOM - APRIL 06: (EMBARGOED FOR PUBLICATION IN UK NEWSPAPERS UNTIL 24 HOURS AFTER CREATE DATE AND TIME) Meghan Markle and Prince Harry attend the UK Team Trials for the Invictus Games Sydney 2018 at the University of Bath on April 6, 2018 in Bath, England. (Photo by Max Mumby/Indigo/Getty Images)
Harry and Meghan, here in Bath in 2018, have a home in the same neighbourhood as the discovery. (Getty)

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Zick did not confirm the exact site of the discovery but did tell the Santa Barbara Independent: "We’re only confirming it was on the 800 block and that it’s not associated with the royals."

Detectives have contacted the Native American Heritage Centre (NAHC) and the remains will be released through them.

The NAHC will decide which tribe of that region is the most likely descendent of the remains.

Early speculation suggested they could belong to a former member of the Chumash people, who were in the central and southern region of California before losing much of their land in the 1800s.

Harry revealed he and Meghan live close to Orlando Bloom recently, when he told Dax Shepard on a podcast that the actor gave him a heads-up when paparazzi were working in their neighbourhood.

The couple bought the home in Santa Barbara last summer. The area is popular with Hollywood stars, and is also home to Rob Lowe, Ellen DeGeneres and Oprah Winfrey.

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