It seems that Prince Harry and Meghan
Markle have strained relations with King Charles and the rest of the Royal
Family. Their numerous interviews, the Netflix series, and Harry's memoir have
left many royalists feeling upset. Allegedly, Charles reached a breaking point
and in January last year, he decided to evict Harry and Meghan from their UK
residence at Frogmore Cottage.
During that period, the couple was
reportedly taken aback by the decision made by the current monarch. Recent
revelations indicate that Harry may have even posed a perplexing question to
King Charles upon receiving the news.
Following
their royal union in 2018, Harry and Meghan initially resided briefly at
Kensington Palace, which was the home of Prince William and Kate Middleton.
Subsequently, they relocated to Nottingham Cottage before ultimately settling
at Frogmore Cottage on the Windsor Castle estate. This move was a wedding gift
bestowed upon them by the late Queen Elizabeth.
Frogmore
Cottage
Frogmore
Cottage has a rich history dating back to 1792. Constructed in the 1680s, its
name is derived from the abundance of frogs in the vicinity. Over the years,
numerous members of the Royal Family have resided there. Initially acquired by
Queen Charlotte, consort of George III, as a country retreat for her family, it
later served as the residence of the Duchess of Kent. Additionally, Queen
Victoria's mother was interred in a mausoleum located on the cottage's grounds.
During
the 1980s, Frogmore underwent extensive repairs and refurbishments.
Approximately four decades later, it became the new residence for Harry and
Meghan.
After
investing approximately $3 million in renovations, the couple refurbished the
royal estate. Upon stepping down from their royal duties, Harry and Meghan
pledged to reimburse the entire renovation cost to UK taxpayers. Nevertheless,
they retained Frogmore Cottage as their UK base for visits.
Reports
indicated that the royal estate had served as the "solely secure sanctuary
in the nation" for Harry and Meghan after their departure from royal
duties, as they no longer had the privilege of police protection in the
country.
Jonathan
Brady – WPA Pool/Getty Images
Shortly
after the release of Harry's book "Spare" in January, King Charles
made a decisive decision regarding the fate of the property.
A
spokesperson representing Harry and Meghan subsequently confirmed their
eviction from Frogmore Cottage.
“We
can confirm the Duke and Duchess of Sussex have been requested to vacate their
residence at Frogmore Cottage,” the spokesperson told Vanity Fair.
Harry
and Meghan were evicted
Following
Harry and Meghan's eviction notice from Buckingham Palace, The Sun reported
that Prince Andrew was given the opportunity to relocate to Frogmore. The
controversial prince currently resides in a 30-room Royal Lodge in Windsor
Great Park, where he has lived since 2003.
According
to The Sun, Andrew was actively “resisting” the King’s wish for him to move
into Frogmore Cottage.
“This
surely spells the end of Harry and Meghan’s time in the UK,” a royal source
told The Sun.
It's
clear that Charles and the other senior royals were displeased with Harry's
memoir and its revelations. Since its publication, along with their interviews
and the Netflix series from December 2022, the relationship between Harry,
Meghan, and the Firm has been strained. Despite this, they attended Queen
Elizabeth's funeral in September 2022, and Harry was present at his father's
crowning ceremony at Westminster Abbey last spring.
That
said, the coronation didn’t quite serve as an opportunity to make amends.
According
to reports, neither King Charles nor Prince William have read Spare, but they
are likely aware of its contents. Consequently, Harry's relationships with his
brother and father are currently strained, and there was no indication of
reconciliation between the trio while Harry was in the UK for last year's
coronation.
Patrick
van Katwijk/Getty Images
In
a conversation with The Sun, lip-reading expert Jerey Freeman revealed insights
into Harry's conversation with Jack Brooksbank, Princess Eugenie's husband,
whom he sat beside at Westminster Abbey before the coronation ceremony.
According to Freeman, the Duke expressed frustration, murmuring, "I'm fed
up with the way they treat me."
“They
don’t care”
Freeman
caught Harry saying: “It’s not an ideal situation,” to which Jack Brooksbank
replied: “If I can make you feel any better, and even I can do it. It’s not the
quiet life, is it?”
“They
don’t care,” Harry answered.
Jack
Brooksbank added: “I haven’t time for that, not if it’s over…”
“It’s
an eventuality,” Harry concluded.
During
the significant event, Prince Harry did not engage directly with his brother or
King Charles. As reported by the PA News agency, Harry departed Westminster
Abbey promptly after the coronation service, boarding a British Airways flight
and returning to Los Angeles by 19:30 local time.
His
departure before the private lunch reportedly left Charles "genuinely
disappointed," according to a source cited by Daily Mail. However, other
members of the Royal Family "breathed a sigh of relief" at Harry's
departure.
Regardless
of past events, what remains certain is King Charles' decision to evict his son
and daughter-in-law just one day after the release of "Spare"
(coincidentally, just months before his coronation).
Heide
Pinkall / Shutterstock.com
According
to royal expert and author Omad Scobie, Charles was “spitting mad” with Harry’s
book, which undoubtedly played a role in his son’s eviction.
Harry
and Meghan were “stunned” by King Charles’ eviction decision
Sources
close to Prince Harry and Meghan Markle at the time claimed the couple was
“stunned” by the decision.
“Harry
and Meghan have until early summer to vacate,” a source told Scobie, reporting
for Yahoo. “Initially, they were given just weeks, but now they have at least
until after the coronation.
“It
all feels very final and like a cruel punishment,” a friend of Harry and
Meghan’s added. “It’s like [the family] wants to cut them out of the picture
for good.”
“Harry
and Meghan have until early summer to vacate,” a source told Scobie, reporting
for Yahoo. “Initially, they were given just weeks, but now they have at least
until after the coronation.”
“It
all feels very final and like a cruel punishment,” a friend of Harry and
Meghan’s added. “It’s like [the family] wants to cut them out of the picture
for good.”
Now,
new details about what really happened come to light. Royal author Omid Scobie,
also said to have been friends with Harry and Meghan, wrote in his latest
book, Endgame, that King Charles wanted to punish the Sussexes. He also
called it a “cheap shot..”
Geoff
Caddick – WPA Pool/Getty Images
The
author’s sources confirmed a “significant” part of evicting Harry and Meghan
was “undoubtedly” a punishment for them releasing their Netflix series just
weeks earlier.
“Do
you want to see your grandchildren?”
Omid
Scobie claims Frogmore was Harry and Meghan’s” ‘only safe place to stay when
visiting the UK, as armed guards surround its grounds.”
Harry
was shocked about King Charles’s decision to evict them, and days later, Scobie
writes, he spoke to his father about what he had done.
“Do
you want to see your grandchildren?” Harry was said to have told King Charles
over the phone.
Charles
then made a “half-hearted declaration that they would always have ‘somewhere to
stay.’”
However,
the author said it “didn’t give Harry much hope.”
The
final blow, Scobie added, was when the disgraced Prince Andrew was offered
Frogmore Cottage instead.
“For
Charles, the issue of Frogmore Cottage wasn’t just about punishing his son,
though sources say that ‘undoubtedly’ played a significant role,” Scobie wrote
in Endgame.
“It
was also part of the effort to streamline the portfolio of properties being
used by members of the family.”
Max
Mumby/Indigo/Getty Images
Omid
Scobie added: “Staying mum about Harry’s accusations and remaining publicly
unconcerned for his son’s wellbeing while ending his family’s lease on a safe
UK residence was not a decisive action by a resolute King.”
Harry
and Meghan thought Frogmore Cottage was “so small”
By
the time the Netflix series was released, Harry and Meghan had already
purchased their home in Montecito, California. Although they still had Frogmore
Cottage as their UK base, they openly shared their sentiments about their
former royal residence.
Harry
and Meghan described Frogmore Cottage as “so small.”
“The
whole thing is on a slight lean, [with] really low ceilings. So I don’t know
who was there before, but they must have been very short,” Harry said, with
Meghan laughing, revealing Harry would “hit his head constantly because he is
so tall.”
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