Harry and Meghan have left Frogmore Cottage, Buckingham Palace has confirmed.
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex were asked to move their remaining possessions out of their UK home close to Windsor Castle just weeks after Harry criticised the Royal Family in his memoir Spare, which was published in January.
The cottage, refurbished by the couple and a Crown Estate property, was their last remaining foothold in the UK as the pair now live in California.
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In 2019, royal accounts showed Meghan and Harry paid £2.4m to cover the refurbishment and rental of Frogmore on the Home Park Estate.
The cottage was originally a gift to the couple from Harry’s grandmother, the late Queen Elizabeth II.
At the annual Sovereign Grant account briefing on royal finances, Sir Michael Stevens, keeper of the Privy Purse, said: “We can confirm that the Duke and Duchess of Sussex have vacated Frogmore Cottage.
“We will not be going into any detail on those arrangements here.
“Safe to say that, as has previously been stated, the duke and duchess have paid for the expenditure incurred by the Sovereign Grant in relation to the renovation of Frogmore Cottage, thus leaving the Crown with a greatly enhanced asset.”
Who will take over Frogmore Cottage?
Reports have said that Prince Andrew has been offered the cottage, but during the briefing, Sir Michael added: “We will not be discussing any details of the duke’s private lease arrangements here today.”
A palace official said there was nothing to add in relation to who could live in the cottage in the future.
“I have nothing to add,” they said.
“Any future occupancy will be determined and communicated in next year’s report.”
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Where is Frogmore Cottage?
The cottage is located on the Frogmore Estate as part of Home Park in Windsor.
It was originally known as Double Garden Cottage and was later bought by George III’s wife, Queen Charlotte.
According to the Royal Collection Trust, the house was named Frogmore due to the large number of frogs in the area at the time.
When did Harry and Meghan leave the UK?
In 2020, Harry and Meghan moved to the US after stepping down from royal duties.
That same year, speaking to James Corden‘s The Late Late Show, Harry revealed he felt the need to step back from his royal duties because of the “toxic” stories about him in the British press.
He said: “It was never walking away. It was stepping back rather than stepping down. It was a really difficult environment, as I think a lot of people saw.
“We all know what the British press can be like. And it was destroying my mental health. I was like… ‘this is toxic’.”
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Since his departure, Harry has sought to resurface the difficulties he and Meghan faced during their time with the royals.
Spare – the Duke of Sussex’s tell-all book – reveals details about his family, his personal life and his time at war.
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Harry was last in the UK earlier this month when he gave evidence at the High Court in a claim against the publisher of the Daily Mirror over alleged hacking.
Before that, the duke had returned briefly to witness the King’s coronation in May.
