Over recent years, the bond between Prince Harry, Meghan Markle, and the British Royal Family has grown increasingly tense. After a string of high-profile interviews, a candid Netflix series, and Harry’s revealing memoir, Spare, the strained relations between them reached a critical point. Finally, last year, King Charles decided to evict the couple from Frogmore Cottage, their only official residence in the UK, a decision that shocked Harry and Meghan and marked a painful shift in their relationship with the monarchy.
Initially, following their wedding in 2018, Harry and Meghan briefly resided in Kensington Palace but soon moved out, eventually settling at Frogmore Cottage on the Windsor estate. The home, given to them by Queen Elizabeth, required substantial renovations. The couple invested over £2.4 million into restoring it, a cost they later repaid to the British taxpayers after stepping down from royal duties. Despite leaving their senior roles, Frogmore Cottage remained their UK home base.
However, in early 2023, shortly after Harry’s memoir was published, King Charles made the choice to evict them. This decision reportedly stunned the couple, as Frogmore had been their only secure base in the UK. According to sources, Harry’s response to the eviction notice was a heartfelt question to his father: “Do you want to see your grandchildren?” In this poignant appeal, Harry hoped to convey the impact of the decision on family bonds. Charles’s reply reportedly assured Harry that they would “always have somewhere to stay” when visiting, but the response felt hollow, leaving Harry unconvinced.
The eviction took a surprising twist when reports emerged that Prince Andrew had been offered Frogmore Cottage, although he allegedly preferred to stay at his current residence, the Royal Lodge, rather than downsize. Meanwhile, royal sources speculated that Charles’s eviction of Harry and Meghan was influenced by the critical media attention surrounding the Netflix documentary and Harry’s book.
In his book Endgame, Omid Scobie, a biographer with close ties to the Sussexes, suggested that the eviction was intended to reduce the Royal Family’s housing costs while simultaneously distancing the Sussexes from their last foothold in the UK. Scobie described the eviction as both practical and symbolic, reinforcing the widening gulf between Harry, Meghan, and the royal establishment.
While Harry and Meghan now live full-time in Montecito, California, the severance from Frogmore Cottage highlights the personal and physical distance between them and Harry’s family in the UK. The cottage they once called home now serves as a reminder of the estrangement, with no immediate hope of reconciliation on the horizon.