All eyes are now on Prince Harry's wife Meghan Markle after the total cost of the renovations for Frogmore Cottage has been revealed. Taxpayers have accused the Duchess of Sussex of having the American Wife syndrome for spending some £2.4m for the remodeling of the property. Her behavior has also been compared to that of reality show royalty, the Kardashians.
According to The Sun, netizens have been quite vocal over what they viewed was unnecessary and lavish spending on the renovation of Frogmore Cottage, which Meghan Markle originally described as "quaint."
Telegraph columnist Allison Pearson, in one of her articles, said that the demand for lavish modifications should come as no surprise because Americans are more used to features like power showers, underfloor heaters, walk-in closets, laundry rooms, indoor gyms, wine cellars, yoga studios, and even home cinemas. The size of kitchens and nurseries that they are used to are also different from the British norm.
Pearson, who wrote a book on the renovation, said that it could be that Meghan Markle tried to get used to the quaint charm of her husband's home but when she got married, but eventually became obsessed with home renovations because of what she was accustomed to in her life back in the US.
It's not just netizens who have expressed displeasure over the lavish spending for the renovations of the royal property. Good Morning Britain Presenter Piers Morgan also aired his commentary on the Frogmore Cottage revamp, reported Metro UK.
Morgan likened the Duchess of Sussex's actions to that of the Kardashian family, whose lavish lifestyle and personal dramas have won the hearts of reality show aficionados all around the world. He also cautioned Markle to be more careful of her actions as a member of the royal family since they are being looked at as role models of the citizens.
"Maybe we'll be back here in 20 years, and she's turned out to be a fantastic member of the royal family, but there are a lot of worrying signs. Not least doing up their house, £2.5m cost to taxpayers," Morgan said. "That's the behavior of a Kardashian, not a member of the Royal family. They've got to be careful."
Apart from spending a fortune on the royal renovations, Meghan Markle's American citizenship also poses a problem for the Royal Household given that the US tax legislation requires all of its citizens to pay taxes on their income no matter where they are in the world.
This means that unless Meghan renounces her American citizenship, all of her income will be subject to US taxes. This poses a huge implication on the Royal House as they will be forced to open the royal accounts to the Internal Revenue Service, an unprecedented feat in the history of the royal family.
