Duchess Meghan has reportedly found a new exclusive hangout.
The mother-of-two appears to be settling into life in the U.K. where she is supposedly attending reformer Pilates classes at Soho Farmhouse, a luxurious members' only club offering not just fitness activities, a spa and specialty coffee but something else key to the Sussexes: privacy.
A Soho Farmhouse membership costs around $431 a month (around $5,000 a year) and visitors must adhere to strict rules or risk losing access to the venue, which boasts several dining spaces, a gym, sunken hot tubs in a lake, and an indoor-outdoor pool.
According to The Sun, Meghan has been working out inside the venue’s “Wellness Barn,” where other members are honoring her relaxation time by giving her plenty
of space. The duchess has, in the past, expressed a love for fitness, including yoga.
Soho Farmhouse is nestled near the Cotswold's villages of Chipping Norton and Great Tew, making it the perfect local venue for Meghan, who moved to Britain in August with husband Prince Harry and their two children, Prince Archie, 7, and Princess Lilibet, 5.
The family is believed to have settled in the Cotswolds, a sprawling rural region famed for its lush green landscape and buildings made of honey-colored stone.
Just how private is Soho Farmhouse?
Stringent policies for staff and members are designed around the same goal: what happens at Soho Farmhouse, stays at Soho Farmhouse.
For the Sussexes, who lost their taxpayer-funded security when they stepped back from their roles as working royals in 2020, the farmhouse's stringent policies are likely part of the venue's allure.
Those employed there and at the company's other houses worldwide "are required to adhere to the strictest confidentiality standards,"according to the website's list of confidentiality rules. Employees are also expected "to maintain all records and personal information concerning the members and their guests in the strictest confidence," the guidelines state.
Guests at Soho Farmhouse are only allowed to use phones and laptops in designated spaces. Cameras, video and other recording devices are also banned from the farmhouse, along with live-streaming. Smart glasses are also banned.
Members and their guests must adhere to a strict non-disclosure policy when it comes to celebrities. The policy prevents visitors from telling others and the media who they have seen at the venue or share any details regarding private parties or meetings at the club.
Which celebrities have been spotted at Soho Houses?
Soho House operates 48 houses across 19 countries worldwide and appeals largely to actors, musicians and creatives. Countries include Japan, Mexico, Turkey, Germany, India, Thailand and Spain. There are also several houses dotted across the U.S. from Miami to New York.
The company employs more than 8,000 people and while there are reports of staff having to sign NDAs, Soho House did not return a request for comment from USA TODAY.
Celebrities spotted at various houses include Victoria and David Beckham, Selena Gomez, Kendall Jenner, Kate Moss and Rebel Wilson.
Why is privacy so important to Meghan and Harry?
Since the couple lost their royal and police protection six years ago, they have expressed concern for their privacy and safety, relying on a private security firm to protect them and their children.
It is understood British officials are reviewing their protection arrangements following their move back to Harry's home country, which has been overshadowed by a string of security stumbling blocks. In the short time they've been back in Britain, Meghan's phone number was leaked, the children have had to switch school and European paparazzi were spotted lurking at their new one.
Meghan has kept a low profile since the family's return, with Harry attending his engagements solo. While the Sussexes moved back in late August, the duke and duchess were not photographed together for the first time until Oct. 1, when they stepped out for lunch at a pub in the Cotswolds.
Images shared by The Sun showed the pair in casual clothes wearing sunglasses and holding hands.
Meghan and Harry's love story began at Soho House
The private members' chain of houses is a key part of Meghan and Harry's royal romance.
The pair had their first date at London's Soho house in July 2016. In his 2023 memoir, "Spare," Harry wrote that they opted to meet at the private members' club after Meghan declined to go to his house for a first date.
"She didn't realize that being royal meant being radioactive, that I was unable to just meet at a coffee shop or pub," he wrote. Meghan suggested the venue and booked a table, calling it "her headquarters whenever she came to London."
Their date at London's Soho House Dean Street went so well that they returned the following evening, sharing their first kiss at the chic city venue.
In the Cotswolds, Soho Farmhouse has a variety of huts, cabins and cottages so that visitors can stay the night with views of wildflowers and meadows. Meghan reportedly had her bachelorette party at the venue in 2018.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Privacy and Pilates – Inside Duchess Meghan's reported UK hideaway
