Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's car collection: from hot hatches to luxury SUVs
Compared to their brief spell together in the UK, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex live a fairly reclusive life with their two children behind the gates of their $14m mansion in Montecito, California.
Harry is often snapped driving locally, usually behind the wheel of a Range Rover, but Meghan seems more content in the passenger seat. Before he moved to the States, Harry was a keen driver, just like his late mother Princess Diana and brother, the Prince of Wales.
It's thought many royals like to drive themselves because it allows them to maintain a sense of normality in their lives.
Volkswagen Golf
Both Prince William and Prince Harry successfully passed their driving tests aged 17.
Harry sat his theory test the day after his 17th birthday and needed just 20 lessons before passing his test first time on New Year’s Eve 2001. Interestingly, his bodyguard was present in his car during the test.
Harry's father, the then Prince Charles, purchased a Volkswagen Golf as a birthday present for his son.
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Audi A3
Like many other members of the royal family, Prince Harry has a long history with Audi - from a basic A3 early on his driving career to a powerful Audi RS6 Avant.
Spartan armoured reconnaissance vehicle
By 2005, Harry had entered the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst. The following year he was pictured behind the wheel of a very different vehicle - a Spartan armoured reconnaissance vehicle during training at the Armoured Fighting Vehicle Driving and Maintenance School at Bovington in Dorset.
Audi S3
No wonder Prince Harry liked his Audi S3. With power coming via a 2.0 turbo engine similar to the Volkswagen Golf GTI, it was capable of 0-62mph in around five seconds and a top speed of 155mph.
Meanwhile, his military career prompted Harry to establish the Invictus Games in 2014 - an international sporting event for wounded, injured, and sick service personnel
Jaguar F-Type
Over the years he's driven various vehicles to help publicise the Invictus Games and its events, including the Jaguar Land Rover Driving Challenge - a curtain raiser to the Games.
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Audi RS6 Avant
By 2016, Harry had met American actress Meghan Markle and the car the couple used for dates was one of the hottest estates money can buy. Under the bonnet was a twin-turbo V8 packing a proper punch, with a top speed of 174mph.
Interestingly, the high-performance Audi, which cost £91,530 new, was listed for sale on the car marketplace Pistonherads.com in November 2023 for £42,000.
In 2018 an estimated 750 million TV viewers around the world watched Harry and Meghan get married at St George's Chapel, Windsor Castle.
Jaguar E-Type Concept Zero
Just like William and Kate's wedding, a car had a starring role on the Duke and Duchess of Sussex's big day. The newlyweds drove off to their reception in a Jaguar E-Type Concept Zero.
The 100% electric version of the iconic sports car featured a bespoke licence plate with the date of their wedding - E190518.
Fast forward to 2017 and there's a familiar scene of Harry driving Meghan - this time they're in a Land Rover Discovery arriving for the Queen's Christmas lunch at Buckingham Palace.
It was reported that Harry gave Meghan driving lessons around this time, so she was comfortable driving in the UK on the left-hand side of the road.
Ford Explorer Sport
Meghan has only reminisced about owning one car - a "beat up, hand-me-down Ford Explorer Sport" she used to drive from audition to audition.
In 2017 it was reported that Meghan had unexpectedly handed back the car she'd been driving in Canada while filming TV series Suits – a £40,000 Audi Q5 SUV – several months before its lease was due to expire because she "planned to spend more time in the UK".
Range Rover
Meghan's appearances behind the wheel of a car are so rare that it was big news in September 2023 when she was photographed driving their black Range Rover for the first time since January 2020.
Prince Harry was away on a solo trip and the Duchess was spotted driving near their California home - possibly on a fast-food run.
Lexus LX 600
As the Duke and Duchess of Sussex step up their foreign tours they are reliant on other sets of wheels. Their recent visit to Nigeria was a good example where they were driven around in a mighty Lexus LX 600 - the flagship SUV from the luxury Japanese car maker.
The motorcade of black 4x4s looked the part when the couple arrived at the State Governor House in Lagos as part of celebrations to mark the 10th anniversary of the Invictus Games.
Finally, this picture from 2020's Invictus Games demonstrated the fun side of Harry and Meghan when they were driven by children in mini Land Rover Defenders ahead of that year's Land Rover Driving Challenge.
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