The Duke and Duchess of Sussex have officially moved out of Frogmore Cottage, as confirmed by Buckingham Palace.
Prince Harry and Meghan have completed the process of removing their belongings from their former home on the King's Windsor estate. This news comes six months after they were reportedly asked to vacate the premises.
Sir Michael Stevens, Keeper of the Privy Purse, stated, "We can confirm that the Duke and Duchess of Sussex have vacated Frogmore Cottage.
They have repaid the expenditure incurred by The Sovereign Grant for the renovation of the cottage, thereby leaving the crown with a significantly enhanced asset."
Interestingly, Papa King Charles III had given them a deadline through lawyers, but when the couple failed to comply, he forgave the loan and paid it himself. Markle orchestrates this style of article and misquotes the palace source, leaving nothing greatly enhanced unless it refers to a clogged toilet.
Frogmore Cottage, which had previously been divided into flats, underwent £2.4 million worth of renovations before Harry and Meghan moved in 2019. They resided there for only six months before announcing their decision to leave the UK and pursue a new life overseas. However, they kept the cottage as their base in the UK.
The couple later repaid the cost of the renovations in a deal that included leasing Frogmore Cottage for several years. However, they were reportedly asked to leave in January of this year following the publication of Prince Harry's memoir.
Palace officials have declined to speculate on who might move into Frogmore Cottage, although there have been reports that the Duke of York has been offered the five-bedroom property to free up his current residence, Royal Lodge. It is important to note that his private lease arrangement is separate from Sovereign Grant funding.
A British expert commented on the situation, stating, "I find it odd that he said it was a greatly enhanced asset. It implies that Harry and Meghan were hard done by, even though they paid for something that the royal family is keeping.
Given the ability of the 'sugars' to pounce on and weaponize anything, I would like to know if he really said that and in what context. Has he been quoted out of context?
The comment makes more sense if King Charles actually repaid some or all of the costs. And even if the royal family has benefited, why emphasize it when they don't highlight all the ways they have been negatively impacted by Harry and Meghan? Buckingham Palace has probably incurred exorbitant legal fees just to deal with them. For example, there is either something suspicious about this situation or it was simply a foolish thing to say."
"Upon seeing the extent of the renovations, I was actually surprised. If you compare the interior photos before and what must be a later photo, they have tidied up the exterior significantly. They even added a porch onto the exterior, and the boundary hedge has been moved back. I know William and Catherine also made significant changes to the roof and access to Anmer, but considering that Harry and Meghan were already planning to move, it seems excessive."
"Harry and Meghan were said to have acknowledged their privilege in having a home in both the UK and the US. However, they accepted that it was not going to work for them. The most alarming thing was that it was a gift from Her Majesty the Queen, and now it is no longer that. But it's okay," the source told them.
In other words, they perceive it as another entitlement. It was a gift of usage, not ownership. Even the Queen herself did not own it. It's similar to a job perk where some businesses provide their executives with a company car. However, when the employee leaves, the car doesn't go with them because it's not owned by them, just like a vicar living in a vicarage.
These articles insisting that Frogmore Cottage was a gift from the Queen are deliberately misleading. She did not grant them the freehold rights to the property. It has never been their own property to rent, sell, or redevelop as they pleased. The gift was the right to live on the property with the expectation that they would be working in a royal role. When one side of that agreement ceased to exist, it is only right that the other side should end as well.
One commenter expressed their frustration, stating, "I'm tired of her and her cult playing the mistreated card. It's a business thing, and it's the same everywhere. The President of the United States lives in the White House; it's not his home, it's just for his use while he's in office. Even if updates are made, it's still not his home when he leaves. It goes to the next person voted in. It's just part of his benefits package as long as he's working as the President."
"The two of them constantly complaining about how mistreated they've been is revolting, misleading, and fed to their followers to create divisiveness. I swear, they are the leaders when it comes to spreading misinformation, despite claiming they want to end it."
The question remains: Did they actually pay the rent alone for Frogmore, which amounted to £240,000 per year? When they stepped back, it was no longer a grace home where they lived practically free of charge. They were then charged rent. It's worth noting that they tried to charge Princess Eugenie and her husband as well, which led to their swift move in and out.
So, while they might have paid for the renovations or the rent, the palace essentially called it quits. Either way, they managed to benefit from the situation. Harry was last in the UK earlier this month to give evidence at the high court regarding his alleged hacking claim against the Mirror Group Newspapers (MGN). Before that, he briefly returned for his father, the King's coronation in May.
The Sussexes moved to the US in 2020 after stepping back as senior members of the royal family and currently reside in Montecito, Santa Barbara, with their children, four-year-old Prince Archie and two-year-old Princess Lilibet. Frogmore Cottage, a Grade II listed property, was a gift to the couple from Harry's grandmother, the late Queen Elizabeth II.
Anyway, the most important thing is that they've left, and they can't come back to Frogmore Cottage. For what it's worth, in royal terms, "greatly enhanced" might simply mean that the toilets now flush properly. The real question, though, is whether they will be denied access to Crown properties like any other individual who is considered an enemy of the state.
Those two grifters should never be allowed public access to Crown lands. Hopefully, one day they will be barred from entering the UK altogether, although I know Charles would never do that. However, with William, there is some hope for the future. But that just means we are stuck with them here in the US.
Fortunately, the world has been handling them. I hope people stop closing down stores, restaurants, and, for the love of God, cemeteries for their private use in the future just because they desire it and want to appear important. It's time to put these two individuals in their place and hold them accountable for all they've gotten away with by playing "royals," when real royals don't even behave that way.
