Meghan and Harry give Frogmore Cottage keys to Princess Eugenie, move out belongings in 'dead of night': Source
Prince Harry and Meghan have reportedly handed the keys of Frogmore Cottage over to Princess Eugenie after clearing out the property “in the dead of night”. Princess Eugenie is the younger daughter of Prince Andrew, Duke of York, and Sarah, Duchess of York. The 30-year-old princess and her husband Jack Brooksbank, 34, moved into the five-bedroom home in Windsor two weeks ago, according to reports.
The couple will now be much closer to the Princess' parents, who live four miles away at Royal Lodge, Windsor Great Park, and less than a mile from Windsor Castle, where Queen Elizabeth is spending lockdown with Prince Philip. An unnamed source told The Sun, “removal vans pitched up in the dead of the night and cleared out the cottage. They definitely did not want to be seen. Emptying their home and handing over the keys is a pretty strong sign Harry and Meghan have no plans to return. It appears they are tying up loose ends as they plan to extend their stay in the US perhaps permanently.”
The source further said, “Frogmore was kitted out to Meghan and Harry’s tastes with son Archie in mind, so it is the perfect place for a couple to bring up a baby. It has the bonus of being around the corner from her parents and, of course, the Queen. Harry and Meghan didn’t fancy Frogmore for whatever reason but Jack and Eugenie are delighted with it.”
The Sussexes currently reside in a $14.6 million (£11 million) mansion in California. They were gifted Frogmore by the Queen in April 2018 a month before their wedding. Following that, they spent $ 3.19 million (£2.4 million) from the Sovereign Grant on renovations spearheaded by Soho Farmhouse designer Vicky Charles. Bathrooms were installed as well as a “floating” kitchen floor and soundproof windows to drown out Heathrow jet noise. The couple also ordered an elaborate double staircase. They also added a baby yoga studio and had the cottage decorated with vegan paint. The total bill sparked outrage after the Sussexes left Frogmore for Canada last November. But the Sussexes reimbursed taxpayers in full for the renovation in September.
Buckingham Palace said it could not comment on whether Princess Eugenie and her husband are going to be paying rent on the Crown Estate property — and if so, to whom — or how long the arrangement was due to last. A Buckingham Palace spokesman said, “Frogmore Cottage is the private residence of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, and as such any arrangements are a matter for them."
Documents filed by Meghan's lawyers last week said: “They were given residence in Frogmore Cottage (one of HM The Queen’s historic dwellings in Windsor Great Park). It is denied that the claimant (Meghan) has the option of living in Kensington Palace or any other royal palace as her official residence.”
The cottage was originally known as Double Garden Cottage and was a retreat for Queen Charlotte and her unmarried daughters.