In Spare, Prince Harry described how, in 2018, he and Meghan were newly married and expecting their first child (Archie), and how they had outgrown the tiny Nottingham Cottage. They had been offered several “grand” properties, but Harry didn’t want those. So QEII offered the Sussexes Frogmore Cottage, which was then a dilapidated shack in dire need of a full renovation. The reno was done quickly, at exorbitant cost (reportedly around $3.1 million), which should tell you a lot about the state of Frogmore Cottage. After they moved to America, Harry then “paid back” the cost of Frogmore’s renovation in full. Frogmore is just one of dozens of cottages, homes, castles, forts and palaces on the Royal Windsor estate, meaning it’s a royal property, so that money simply went back into whatever estate fund. Back in 2018-19, Harry was only given something like a two-year lease on the property. He reportedly renewed the lease on Frogmore even after the Sussexes moved to America, and when they visited the UK in recent years, they stayed at Frogmore. Well, funny story. King Charles is “evicting” them.
King Charles is evicting Prince Harry and Meghan from Frogmore Cottage — and has offered it to Prince Andrew. The Sussexes are now drawing up plans to ship their remaining belongings to the US. The move, which follows damning allegations from Harry and Meghan about the royals, throws into doubt their chances of a coronation invite in May.
Disgraced Andrew was offered the keys to the five-bed Windsor home last week. King Charles began the process of chucking Harry and Meghan out of Frogmore Cottage days after his son’s controversial memoir Spare was released. Buckingham Palace issued an eviction notice to the US-based couple as the world reeled from the extraordinary attacks Harry launched against the Royal Family.
The disgraced Duke of York, who faces being booted out of his Royal Lodge mansion, was last week offered the smaller Frogmore Cottage, and is said to be “resisting”. But Harry and Meghan are believed to have no choice but to quit the Windsor property, a gift from the late Queen, which would leave them without a UK home. They are now drawing up plans to remove their belongings from the five-bed house and ship everything to Montecito, California.
The move also throws into doubt the couple’s chances of getting an invite to the Coronation of Charles and Queen Consort Camilla at Westminster Abbey on May 6.
An insider said: “This eviction surely spells the end of Harry and Meghan’s time in the UK. Andrew is resisting the idea of moving into Frogmore Cottage after he was offered it last week. But it shows Harry and Meghan are powerless to stop the eviction.”
[From The Sun]
“This surely spells the end of Harry and Meghan’s time in the UK.” They literally moved to America three years ago. “A gift from the late Queen,” a gift in which they paid for in full despite the face that they were given a short-term lease on a royal property. “It shows Harry and Meghan are powerless to stop the eviction…” You mean King Charles is so petty and punitive that he would illegally break his son’s lease on a tiny cottage on the Royal Windsor estate just as a show of his limp, flaccid power? Sure.
Anyway, when the Sussexes came to the UK last year for the Jubbly, I theorized that they took a private plane home because they were moving most of their stuff out of Frogmore anyway. I also assume that when Princess Beatrice and Jack Brooksbank were staying at Frogmore, they probably moved some of Harry and Meghan’s things into storage and/or brought their belongings to California when they visited. This idea that poor Harry and Meghan will have to scramble to move their things out after being “evicted” and “left homeless” is just Charles throwing red meat at the British papers. I suspect William is also behind this – after all, I’m pretty sure he fancies Royal Lodge for himself and he always has.
PS… I’m covering Scobie’s latest report separately, please don’t threadjack.
Photos courtesy of Avalon Red, Backgrid, Netflix and Misan Harriman/The Sussexes.
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