King Charles’ decision to evict Harry and Meghan from Frogmore Cottage was like “taking off a Band-Aid”.
Sources have told the Mail that the monarch found the implosion of his relationship with his youngest son “extremely painful”.
The decision to ask the couple to move out of their Windsor home was apparently a difficult one for the King as well, especially as he was not keen on fueling their ongoing quarrel.
But after Harry and Meghan’s repeated comments to the family over the past year — particularly their Netflix series and the Prince’s memoir — the King and his staff felt they had no choice but to act.
It comes after yesterday it was reported that Charles started the deportation procedure on January 11 – the day after Harry’s highly critical book Spare came out.
After Harry and Meghan’s repeated comments to the family over the past year – particularly their Netflix series and the Prince’s memoir – the King and his staff felt they had no choice but to act.
Sources have told the Mail that the monarch finds the implosion of his relationship with his youngest son “extremely painful”.
Discussing the decision to start the process, a source said: ‘It was felt it would be like taking a Band-Aid off. Painful, but once it’s done, it’s done.’
The house has already been offered to Prince Andrew, who is reportedly resisting pressure to downsize the seven-bedroom Royal Lodge.
It’s clear that the king is particularly keen to sort out many of the nagging issues surrounding Harry, Meghan and Andrew before his coronation, which have been allowed to ‘drag’ for far too long.
Buckingham Palace today still declined to comment on the decision to ask the Sussexes to pack up their remaining belongings from their five-bedroom Windsor cottage before the start of the summer.
It is clear that they were initially asked to quit when their lease was up for renewal next month, but were granted a stay of execution.
However, a spokesperson for the couple specifically confirmed this week that they had been ‘asked to leave their home at Frogmore Cottage’ – a sign of their shock and anger at the move.
The latest twist in the Windsors’ ongoing war suggests further doubts about their appearance at the King’s coronation on May 6.
There were also questions tonight about whether the Crown Estate, which leases Frogmore to the Sussexes, could ultimately owe the couple money.
Harry and Meghan were given use of Frogmore Cottage by Queen Elizabeth in 2018 amid their explosive spat with the Prince and Princess of Wales.
It was originally five dilapidated staff residences, but was initially converted into one large house with a private garden using £2.4million of taxpayers’ money. The pair paid for everything but the basic equipment themselves.
But they only spent six months in the house before moving to North America, first to Canada and then California, where they bought an £11 million mansion in Montecito.
Harry and Meghan were given use of Frogmore Cottage by Queen Elizabeth in 2018 amid their explosive spat with the Prince and Princess of Wales
Despite several public statements from Harry that he now sees his future in the US, he and Meghan agreed to reimburse the Crown Estate for the cost of renovations in a deal that included leasing Frogmore Cottage for an indefinite number of years.
The pair claimed it would mean ‘their family would always have a place to call home in the UK’ as they pursued lucrative commercial deals abroad.
More importantly, the Sussexes also believed that repaying all government money spent on Frogmore would avert continued criticism.
Last year, royal officials confirmed that Harry and Meghan were fully “financially independent” and said the couple’s decision to pay back the £2.4 million on Frogmore was a “good deal” for the taxpayer.
According to the palace’s annual accounts, the lump sum they transferred to cover the renovation of their former marital home on the Queen’s estate also included undisclosed future rental costs.
The couple would also fund the general upkeep of their former home, such as the upkeep of the garden, with the taxpayer-funded Sovereign Grant effectively acting as the “landlord” and undertaking more major works, such as everything that was done on the outside of the house had to be done. the monumental building.
A senior royal source said the rent was calculated independently and based on market values.
“I can say with confidence that this is a good deal for both the Sovereign Grant and the taxpayer,” they added.
But if the Sussexes have paid several years’ rent in advance, the sudden termination of their lease has led to questions in royal circles as to whether they should be refunded.
The couple agreed to pay in advance with the expectation that they would regularly return to the UK, despite settling in California to see family and friends.
But the implosion of their relationships with senior royals has meant they’ve rarely returned in the past three years.
And the decision to end their lease, whether they like it or not, can provoke an aggressive response. It has been reported that a ‘flurry of letters’ have been exchanged between the Sussexes team and the Palace in recent weeks.
Buckingham Palace declined to comment.