Prince Harry and Meghan Markle are considering renting a second home - an apartment in New York near the United Nations headquarters, it has been rumoured.

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex currently live in an £11.2million ($14.65million) mansion in California, which they bought with a £7.3million ($9.5million) mortgage.

They have lived in the 7.4-acre compound in the celebrity enclave of Montecito since July 2020, four months after stepping down as senior royals and leaving Britain.

But local gossip in New York suggests the Sussexes are now looking at also renting a home near the UN headquarters, which are located at Midtown East in Manhattan. 

The couple visited the UN in a rare public appearance in September last year, and were photographed meeting with Deputy Secretary-General Amina Mohammed.

The trio spoke about issues ranging from climate action to women's economic empowerment and mental wellbeing to youth engagement and vaccine equity. 

Harry and Meghan were in New York at the time to attend Global Citizen Live, a concert at Central Park which called on leaders to adopt a vaccine equity policy. 

The couple were pictured in front of the UN logo alongside Ms Mohammed, and in another photograph where Meghan could be seen greeting her with an elbow.

Ms Mohammed, the former environment minister for Nigeria, shared the first picture in a tweet, saying: 'In conversation with the Duke and Duchess of Sussex.

'Sharing how to engage on issues we care about deeply: climate action, women's economic empowerment, mental wellbeing, youth engagement and vaccine equity.'

During the same trip they also met with Linda Thomas-Greenfield, the United States ambassador to the United Nations under President Joe Biden.

She tweeted a picture of their 'wonderful' meeting, and said they had an 'important discussion of Covid, racial justice and raising mental health awareness.'

Harry and Meghan's visit was their first public appearance together since the birth of their daughter Lilibet in June 2021, and their first major public trip post-Megxit.

Meghan is said to harbour ambitions of a UN role like her friend Amal Clooney, who worked there as counsel to former Secretary-General Kofi Annan.

Two weeks ago the Duchess of Sussex revealed a trailer for her new Spotify podcast, which vows to investigate the 'labels that try to hold women back'.

The seven-second clip promoting the Archetypes podcast was released as part of the global music giant's estimated £18million deal with Meghan and Harry.

The royal couple's production company Archewell Audio has not yet released a date for episode one, although it is expected to air sometime in the summer.

Harry and Meghan signed their big money deal with Spotify in December 2020. The former Suits actress is presenter and an executive producer of the new series.

MailOnline contacted a spokesman for the Sussexes for comment this morning.