Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, Duke and Duchess of Sussex, are getting evicted from their home within the grounds of Windsor Castle, west of London, reports say.
Prince Harry and Meghan’s Frogmore Cottage
Frogmore Cottage lies on the grounds of Windsor Castle in the west of London. It is a part of the monarch’s estate.
The Frogmore cottage was given as a gift to Prince Harry and Meghan on their wedding in 2018, by the late Queen Elizabeth II. This has been the main residence of the Duke and Duchess since then. The cottage was renovated at a reported cost of 2.4 million pounds.
This was the couple’s residence until they stepped down from their royal duties in 2020. They stayed there for only six months. The couple then left the country and moved to California in the US to build a new life and career. The cottage was their only base when they visited Britain. They repaid 2.4 million pounds in British taxpayer money that they used to refurbish the cottage in September 2020 and fully covered its cost, according to the announcement from their spokesperson.
Eviction and the Controversies
Prince Harry and Meghan were asked to vacate their home within the Windsor Castle in the month of January, as per their spokesman. This came as a consequence of the publication of Harry’s autobiography, ‘Spare’, which broke the sales record for its speed of sale. The book said everything about the royal life and criticized Harry’s father, Charles, and his brother, William, and their respective wives. Charles, who is next in line for the throne, was quite lenient towards his younger son, even after the couple shifted to the US, but with the publication of Harry’s memoir, he set a very clear boundary by evicting them.
Harry and Meghan had already created a rift between them and the Royal family through the release of their documentary on Netflix and a series of TV interviews, tabloids. Now, with the book’s release, the rift has deepened even more. According to reports, the couple has now started removing and shipping their belongings to their California home.
Andrew and Charles
King Charles III has offered the Frogmore Cottage to his disgraced brother, Prince Andrew, as reported by the Sun and Daily Telegraph. When the couple shifted to the US, they leased the cottage to his cousin Eugenie, Andrew’s younger daughter, and her husband. They also left the property and shifted to Portugal, as per the Sun insiders.
Prince Andrew was forced to quit his royal duties due to his relationship with convicted US sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. Last year, Andrew settled a US civil case for sexual assault with accuser Virginia Giuffre. Reports say that Andrew is resisting the offer and wants to stay in his current home.
With the eviction and ordeals happening, it is in doubt whether the couple will be invited to the coronation of the monarch that is due in May.
