The Duke and Duchess of Sussex are set to return to the UK next month ahead of a busy schedule featuring various charity meetings.
MORE: Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s rarely seen rooms inside £11m home are so grand
With many royal fans speculating as to whether the couple will carve out family time with their royal relations, we take a look at their UK residence and see how it compares to their lavish Californian mansion.
Frogmore Cottage
A stone’s throw from the Queen’s magnificent Windsor estate, Frogmore cottage was granted by the monarch to be the official residence of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle. As part of the Crown Estate, the royal residence, like Buckingham Palace, does not personally belong to Her Majesty.
WATCH: Harry and Meghan are set to visit UK next month
Whilst the duo have now traded their charming home in the UK for a luxurious Montecito mansion, Harry, 37, and Meghan, 41, recently renewed their lease on the property for another year.
Frogmore Cottage is located on the Windsor estate
The couple last made use of their property during the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee celebrations and are expected to make a returning visit in September.
Before Harry and Meghan made the property their home in 2019, the cottage underwent extensive renovation works with the couple deciding to convert the Grade II-listed property into a single five-bedroom family home.
The property underwent a series of extensive renovations
Although their luxurious renovations reportedly cost the taxpayer £2.4million, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex footed the bill after they stepped down as senior royals.
Despite moving across the pond in 2020, Harry and Meghan have opted to keep Frogmore Cottage as their UK base. And in November 2020, the couple kindly allowed Princess Eugenie and her husband Jack Brooksbank to move into the property with their baby boy, August.
Princess Eugenie made use of the residence
Speaking to HELLO! an insider at the time revealed: “Eugenie and Harry have always been close and they chat privately all the time.
“It was Harry who suggested she and Jack could use Frogmore Cottage because it is much bigger than their cottage at Kensington Palace. It is a case of one family member reaching out to another.”
The Windsor estate is also home to Frogmore House
New reports indicate that Prince Harry’s cousin recently moved out and will now divide her time between Nottingham Cottage at Kensington Palace and their new place in Portugal.
Also located on the Queen’s Windsor estate is her impressive Frogmore House which has been a royal residence since 1792. The spectacular country house acquired its unique name after an abundance of frogs were spotted among the surrounding marshland areas.
Prince Harry and Meghan tied the knot in 2018
Throughout the years, the residence has played host to a plethora of royal occasions including the wedding receptions of Peter Phillips and Autumn Kelly and Prince Harry and Meghan Markle.
The property is now used as a public attraction with the doors set to open again between 1-26 August this year. Visitors will be able to explore the ornate interiors and stunning surrounding gardens.
Chateau of Riven Rock
Prince Harry and Meghan currently reside in their £11million Montecito mansion located in Santa Barbara, California. The couple moved there in July 2020 and reportedly picked the location based on Oprah Winfrey’s recommendation.
Montecito is located in Santa Barbara
The mountainous neighbourhood is renowned for its secluded hillside estates affording the utmost privacy. And thanks to its remote location, celebrities such as Tom Cruise and Ellen DeGeneres have flocked to the community.
Boasting 18,000 square feet, the nine-bedroom property is well-equipped for every possible need. Inside, the main house includes a library, an office, a spa with a separate dry and wet sauna, a gym, a games room, an arcade, a movie theatre, a wine cellar, and a garage with space for five cars.
Harry and Meghan prioritised their privacy
Unlike Frogmore Cottage, the couple have provided rare glimpses of the property’s high-end interiors. Oozing sophistication, Meghan’s personal office space is an oasis of calm with its natural tones and rustic furniture. In a similar vein, the couple’s living room has been decked out with modern artwork, fresh flowers, candles, and organic pottery.
Meghan’s office has been beautifully decorated
Moving outside, Harry and Meghan’s property is the perfect natural playground for their two growing children, Archie, three, and Lilibet, one. In a bid to capture some of the magic experienced at Frogmore Cottage, the pair have created their very own vegetable patch.
Their seven-acre garden moreover features a chicken coop full of rescued hens from a nearby farm. Outside the pen, the couple have erected a sweet sign which reads: “Archie’s Chick Inn”, in honour of their son.
The couple share two children together
Other outdoor attractions for their little ones include an adventure playground, a climbing frame, a helter-skelter, and two different climbing walls.
Beyond their garden, there is also an incredible outdoor swimming pool surrounded by sun loungers, where Harry and Meghan can soak up the sizzling Californian sun.
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