Prince Harry and Meghan Asked to Vacate Frogmore Cottage, Spokesperson Says

The historic cottage is a part of Home Park in Windsor and was first built in 1801 under the direction of King George III’s wife, Queen Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Strelitz. The 10-bedroom estate was renovated by the couple in 2018 after it was gifted to them by Queen Elizabeth II following their wedding.

Prince Harry and Meghan, who has retained the title of Duchess of Sussex, have been asked to vacate Frogmore Cottage, the couple's royal residence in England.

The property was initially intended to be their primary residence until the duke and duchess stepped down from their senior royal duties and fled the UK for Canada, before ultimately settling in California. In 2020, the pair said they had repaid more than $3 million in taxpayer money that was used to renovate the home.

“We can confirm the Duke and Duchess of Sussex have been requested to vacate their residence at Frogmore Cottage,” the couple’s global press secretary confirmed in a statement to the press.

The cause for the eviction has been scrutinized by the media. The author of Finding Freedom: Harry and Meghan and the Making of a Modern Royal Family, Omid Scobie said the news has left “at least two members of the royal family appalled."

A source told the media that Harry and Meghan have until the coronation of King Charles III to leave the property. The order to vacate comes from the king himself, Harry’s father, who was “spitting mad,” according to Scobie, regarding Harry’s explosive memoir Spare, which came out in January.

Scobie believed the decision to give the couple the boot from their British estate was made “shortly after” the book was published. The book revealed intimate details of Harry’s life and his relationship with his brother William, Prince of Wales, as well as other private conversations and arguments with royal family members.

The couple also released a six-part Netflix docuseries in December, in which they heavily criticized the British monarchy, as well as the British press.

In that highly watched docuseries, Meghan also talked about wanting to end her own life and the toxicity and pressure of the British media. Harry made comments that some family members had thrown the couple "under the bus" in order to appear in a more positive light in the media.

Another theory for the request to vacate Frogmore Cottage may be that the British government is in the middle of a financial assessment, which they do every five years, to address the Sovereign Grant. The grant is essentially a piggy bank of taxpayer money used to fund the British royal family and support royal households, staff salaries, palace renovations, travel and the like.

King Charles III and his wife Camilla, Queen Consort will be crowned on May 6 at London’s Westminster Abbey.