Prince Harry (38) and Duchess Meghan (41) have agreed with Buckingham Palace that they will no longer have to pay rent for Frogmore Cottage on the Windsor Castle grounds. The agreement was preceded by the repayment of the renovation costs by the Duke and Duchess of Sussex. The 2.4 million pounds (equivalent to around 2.7 million euros) were originally paid for with taxpayers’ money.
As “Mail on Sunday” further reports, it had previously been said that the Sussexes would pay a “market rental price” for the five-bedroom house. But palace officials have now confirmed that the large lump sum payment wipes out the couple’s rental obligations. “The Duke and Duchess of Sussex have made a £2.4million contribution to the Sovereign Grant which covered the refurbishment of Frogmore Cottage. They have met their financial obligations in relation to the property,” said the spokesman.
Buckingham Palace announced in November 2019 that the Sussexes would take Frogmore Cottage as their official residence. They moved in the following spring after the separate cottages had been converted into one large family home.
However, when they stepped away from their royal duties to become “financially independent”, Buckingham Palace issued a statement saying it was Harry and Meghan’s “desire to spend on the renovation of Frogmore Cottage, the will remain their British family seat”.
It was further said: The two will officially retire from royal service in March 2020 and a spokesman for the palace told the “BBC” at the time that they would continue to pay a “market rent” for the property.
Harry and Meghan have been married since May 2018. Their son Prince Archie was born in May 2019 and their daughter Princess Lilibet in June 2021. They were already living in the USA, where they had emigrated in spring 2020.
