According to recent reports from The Sun, King Charles has reportedly evicted Prince Harry and Meghan Markle from Frogmore Cottage, which is their only UK home. The eviction notice was
issued to the Duke and Duchess of Sussex just days after the release of Harry's memoir, Spare, in which he made several sensational claims against the Royal Family, the paper alleges.
The Palace is said to be seeking to replace the couple with Prince Andrew, who currently inhabits the larger Royal Lodge. Despite Prince Andrew resisting the move, the paper alleges that Harry and Meghan will be forced to leave the cottage and fully complete their relocation to the US, irrespective of whether Andrew moves in.
The revelation comes amid preparations for King Charles' coronation in May, with speculation that Prince Harry may not receive an invitation. The move is likely to spell the end of Harry and Meghan's time in the UK, according to a Royal insider quoted by The Sun. The insider added that the couple is powerless to stop the eviction.
Frogmore Cottage is a grace and favour home on the Frogmore Estate in Windsor that was gifted to the Duke and Duchess by the late Queen in 2018 for their wedding. The cottage, which is located just a stone's throw away from Adelaide Cottage, the principal residence of the Prince and Princess of Wales, is the couple's only remaining residence in the UK.
The cottage underwent a multi-million pound renovation in 2018-2019 before Harry and Meghan moved in, and it is more like a mansion, with five bedrooms and sprawling gardens. It had previously been five separate properties for staff working on the Windsor Estate, and the whole renovation famously cost the Sovereign Grant £2.4 million.
MailOnline has reached out to Buckingham Palace and Prince Harry's representatives for comment on the matter.
It remains to be seen what will happen next for the couple, who have been living in the US since March 2020. While the reported eviction from Frogmore Cottage may mark the end of their time in the UK, it is unclear what their future plans are. Harry and Meghan have been vocal about their desire to create a life that is financially independent of the Royal Family, and they have been involved in several business ventures in recent months, including a podcast deal with Spotify and a multi-year contract with Netflix.
The reported decision to offer Frogmore Cottage to Prince Andrew, who has faced intense scrutiny over his friendship with the late Jeffrey Epstein, has also drawn criticism from some quarters. The Duke of York currently resides at the massive Royal Lodge despite reportedly paying peanuts for rent, and it remains to be seen what the public's reaction will be to the news that he may move into Frogmore Cottage. Photo by Karen Roe from Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk, UK, Wikimedia commons.