Did Harry want to stay away from William? Here's why he chose Frogmore Cottage quarantine over Kensington Palace
After much speculation over where Prince Harry might stay while he is back in the United Kingdom for Prince Philip's funeral. Harry is back in his home country for the first time in over a year after leaving the palace and stepping down from senior royal duties. It has now been confirmed that the Duke of Sussex will be staying at the Frogmore Cottage, the last British abode that he and Meghan Markle shared as a married couple before flying overseas to Canada and then eventually settling in the United States.
Harry was seen at Heathrow airport on Sunday, April 11, after his grandfather, Prince Philip, died on Friday, April 9. A source told express.co.uk that after leaving Heathrow airport, they saw Harry “getting into an escorted car”. The report also added that he was seen going directly to Nottingham Cottage, where he will quarantine before attending Philip’s funeral on Saturday, April 17. However, HELLO! magazine has confirmed that instead of Nottingham Cottage, his previous marital home in Kensington Palace, Harry has chosen to quarantine at Frogmore Cottage instead, where he is following all Covid-19 protocols.
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The current quarantine time for travelers to the UK is 10 days. However, Harry will be allowed to attend the funeral on "compassionate" grounds. The rule on the government's website says, “You can leave your place of self-isolation in limited circumstances, including on compassionate grounds. This includes attending a funeral of a household member, a close family member or a friend (if neither household member or close family member can attend the funeral). You must continue to self-isolate at all other times.”
Staying close to the Queen
Frogmore Cottage is located within the grounds of Windsor Castle and was once Harry and Meghan's main residence in the United Kingdom. Since they now live in Montecito, California, along with their son Archie, Frogmore Cottage has been given to Princess Eugenie and Jack Brooksbank.
"Eugenie and Harry have always been close and they chat privately all the time,” a source earlier told HELLO! “It was Harry who suggested she and Jack could use Frogmore Cottage because it is much bigger than their cottage at Kensington Palace. It is a case of one family member reaching out to another.”
Earlier the magazine had also reported that chances are that Harry could choose to stay with his cousin Eugenie. However, there was the possibility of him moving to Kensington Palace and staying at his former residence, Nottingham Cottage, where he and Meghan used to live before they made Frogmore Cottage their home.
But Frogmore Cottage, part of Home Park, Windsor, is a fitting choice for Harry because the place allows for increased privacy. The funeral will be taking place at Windsor Castle, where the Queen is currently residing amid the pandemic.
Frogmore House is where Harry and Meghan hosted their wedding reception in May 2018, while Frogmore Cottage is situated at the front of the property. It is categorized as a Grade-II building, and is believed to feature five bedrooms, a kitchen, a living room and a nursery. In 2019, the house was renovated and reportedly cost the Sovereign Grant a total of $3.3 million.
Harry chose Frogmore over Nottingham
Before moving to Frogmore Cottage in 2019, Harry and Meghan lived in Nottingham Cottage even before they got married on May 19, 2018. They returned to the property two days after their ceremony, making it their first marital home. London residence, nicknamed "Nott Cott," is a two-bedroom house, and was often described as "snug" as it is one of the more modest properties within Kensington Palace.
Kensington Palace, however, is also the main base for the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge. William and Kate's primary residence is the lavish Apartment 1A at Kensington Palace, a four-storey apartment with 20 rooms including five reception rooms, three main bedrooms, dressing rooms, a night and day nursery, and staff quarters. It was previously home to Princess Margaret.
Nottingham Cottage is located on the Kensington Palace grounds, which would mean the brothers would be in close proximity -- something that Harry might not have wanted given the ongoing royal feud after the tell-all interview with Oprah Winfrey.
After serving in the British army, Prince Harry lived in the Nottingham Cottage alone. He moved out in 2011 so that his elder brother William and his wife Kate could have it as their first marital home before moving to Anmer Hall in Norfolk. Harry then moved back in to the cottage in 2013 before he got married. It was announced that Harry would be making the journey to the UK alone as his wife Meghan heavily pregnant and has been advised by her doctors not to fly.