It is the historic house on the Windsor estate that was remodeled by Prince Harry and Meghan Markle at a cost of £2.4 million.
Frogmore Cottage, on the Windsor estate, was renovated, initially at taxpayers’ expense, after the late Queen granted use of the property to the Duke and Duchess of Sussex in 2018.
But public outcry over the use of public money through the Sovereign Grant prompted Harry and Meghan to cover the cost themselves.
It emerged late last month that the property still remains empty, more than a year after Harry and Meghan were forced to move out.
The Duke was asked to remove his remaining belongings from his five-bedroom home just weeks after he published his explosive memoir Spare.
Historian Robert Lacey’s 2020 book Battle of the Brothers revealed why repaying public money was crucial to the couple.
Mr Lacey wrote: “It was crucial that they paid – and were clearly seen to pay – the £2.4m that had become a haunting refrain in almost every story about their Windsor base.”
He added: “As they would later explain via sussexroyal.com, the website they developed during their sabbatical in Vancouver, drawing on the Sovereign Grant – the royal payroll funded by the British taxpayer – would “remove the tabloids’ justification” for accessing their lives.
Frogmore Cottage, on the Windsor estate, was renovated, initially at taxpayer expense, after the late Queen granted the Duke and Duchess of Sussex use of the property in 2018.
Public outcry over the use of public money through the Sovereign Grant prompted Harry and Meghan to cover the cost of renovating Frogmore Cottage themselves. Above: The couple in the kitchen at the property
Charles, then Prince of Wales, had been “quite understanding” when Harry discussed the cost of the renovation with him, Lacey said.
He is said to have offered to help. Mr Lacey continued: “… although it is not immediately obvious why a couple whose combined net worth has been reliably estimated at between £30m and £40m would need daddy’s help to pay off their ‘mortgage’.”
Before being renovated, Frogmore Cottage had been divided into five derelict staff quarters.
Harry and Meghan converted it back into a large house with a private garden.
They spent just six months in the house before moving to North America in 2020, first to Canada and then to California, where they bought an £11million mansion in Montecito.
But the couple initially kept Frogmore as a UK base and also put aside funds for future rental costs.
Last year they were asked to vacate the property completely following the uproar generated by the publication of Harry’s memoirs and the couple’s Netflix series.
Last month, a Buckingham Palace spokesman confirmed that Frogmore is still empty, a fact that was detailed in the annual Sovereign Grant report, which sets out how the monarchy is funded by taxpayers.
“I don’t think I would speculate at this stage as to who the future occupant of Frogmore Cottage would be,” they said.
The Sussexes sparked fury by spending £2.4m of taxpayers’ money on renovating Frogmore Cottage in Windsor (pictured)
The Queen gave Harry and Meghan (pictured above on their wedding day in 2018) the use of Frogmore Cottage.
Harry and Meghan (pictured last month at the ESPY Awards in Hollywood) spent just six months in the house before moving to North America in 2020.
Prince Harry was asked to remove his remaining possessions from Frogmore Cottage just weeks after the publication of his memoir Spare
Prince Andrew was offered the option of moving to Frogmore rather than residing at the £30m Royal Lodge without a source of income, but he declined.
The Duke of York has been forced to step down from royal duties amid scandal over his friendship with convicted paedophile Jeffrey Epstein.
The King has long been trying to persuade him to exchange the palatial Lodge for Frogmore.
He inherited his property from the Queen Mother and there are still about 50 years left on the lease.
A source told The Times earlier this year: “If[Prince Andrew]does not agree to move to a property that better suits her needs, then the King may have to reconsider the levels of support he is prepared to provide.”
Frogmore Cottage was once the home of Queen Victoria’s loyal Indian servant, Abdul Karim.
And from 1925 to 1934 it was a place of refuge for Grand Duchess Xenia, sister of Tsar Nicholas II.