Meghan Markle and Prince Harry apparently did not inform senior royal family members that they have let Princess Eugenie and Jack Brooksbank move into Frogmore Cottage. An insider claimed that the Sussex pair "blindsided" the senior royals and allegedly only told Queen Elizabeth after Harry, Meghan, Eugenie, and Jack carried out their agreement.
The source told Sun on Sunday that it had been a done deal between the royal cousins before the senior royals found out. Eugenie and Jack, who will welcome their first baby in early 2021, have moved into the five-bedroom house two weeks ago.
Almost all of the items that belonged to Harry and Meghan are no longer in Frogmore Cottage. Some royal observers said this was a clear indication that the Sussex couple is not returning to their Windsor home.
The Brooksbank couple, on the other hand, will not be doing any changes or renovations since Frogmore Cottage was refurbished in 2019. Harry and Meghan spent close to $3.2 million (£2.4 million) for the renovations, initially through the Sovereign Grant.
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex have paid off this amount in full last September following demands from taxpayers that they return the money spent on their house if they were not going to live in it. Harry and Meghan lived in Frogmore for around nine months only before moving to North America in late 2019.
By early January 2020, Harry and Meghan returned to the U.K. without their son, Archie Harrison, and stayed at Frogmore Cottage. However, Meghan was only in town for a week while Harry stayed on to discuss their royal exit with Queen Elizabeth, Prince Charles and Prince William.
In October, Frogmore staff members were told to prepare the house for Harry and Meghan's return from the U.S. after more than six months. However, the Sussex camp sources said that they are not planning to fly back to the U.K. anytime soon because of the pandemic.
As it turns out, the preparations were actually for the new tenants, Eugenie and Jack, who will be living so much closer to Princess Eugenie's mom and dad, Prince Andrew and Sarah Ferguson, the Duke and Duchess of York, who are staying at the Royal Lodge. According to Daily Mail, Buckingham Palace did not say whether the Brooksbank will pay rent for Frogmore Cottage to the Crown Estate. The spokesperson said that the house is still the private residence of Harry and Meghan, and they will still use the cottage if they are back visiting the U.K.
