Frogmore Cottage latest: Who could move into Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's former vacant home?

A Palace official said at the Sovereign Grant briefing that “During this year, Frogmore Cottage has remained empty, I don’t think, at this point, I would speculate on who will be the future occupants of the cottage.”

The Palace official also said that “The Sovereign Grant has been fully reimbursed for the refurbishment costs of Frogmore cottage, when it was initially provided to the Duke and Duchess of Sussex,and therefore, there is no cost to the Sovereign Grant, other than some routine maintenance, but it would be required for any of the buildings.”

When it comes to who could move into Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s former home, one suggestion that keeps coming up is Prince Andrew. Prince Andrew continues to live with his former wife, Sarah Ferguson, Duchess of York at their Royal Lodge home, if the couple had remained married, they would have celebrated their 38th wedding anniversary yesterday (23 July 2024). 

King Charles is reportedly keen for his younger brother Prince Andrew to move to the much smaller Frogmore Cottage, but Prince Andrew is said to be less than happy with the suggestion. Prince Andrew has called Royal Lodge his home since 2003 when he reportedly signed a 75-year lease.

Frogmore Cottage in Windsor was built in 1801 and was gifted to the Duke and Duchess of Sussex by the late Queen Elizabeth 11. It was built as Queen Charlotte, the wife of King George 111 wanted another property as an escape from the pressures of Palace life. Other famous residents include Abdul Karim, he became a household name thanks to the movie Victoria & Abdul and was one of Queen Victoria’s servants. The pair were very close and she gave him the use of Frogmore Cottage. 

When did Prince Harry and Meghan Markle move to Frogmore Cottage?

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex moved from their two-bedroom Nottingham Cottage, on the grounds of Kensington Palace in London, to Frogmore Cottage before the birth of their first child, Archie Harrison in May 2019. At the time, Kensington Palace said that “Windsor is a very special place for their Royal Highnesses and they are grateful that their official residence will be on the estate.”

When did Prince Harry and Meghan Markle move out of Frogmore Cottage?

When the Duke and Duchess of Sussex decided to step down as senior working royals, it was decided that they would keep Frogmore Cottage as a UK residence and the couple stayed there when they returned with their children, Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet in June 2022 for Queen Elizabeth’s Platinum Jubilee. Prince Harry reportedly stayed there in March 2023.

However, in June 2023, Buckingham Palace confirmed that Prince Harry and Meghan Markle had left Frogmore Cottage Sir Michael Stevens, keeper of the Privy Purse revealed at the time that “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.”

Princess Eugenie and Jack Brooksbank reportedly lived there for only six weeks before moving out. It is believed that the pair moved as they were keen to start a family at another property.