Prince Harry and Duchess Meghan will pay rent to The Queen for their former royal home. The couple plans on keeping the Frogmore Cottage as their UK home. The announcement came as the world learns the details of the newlywed royals' exit plan to start their lives as a financially independent husband and wife.
Now that Meghan and Harry are free, this should allow them a break from many of the debilitating side effects of being an official royal. First, there was the press coverage. The couple felt that the British media was unrelenting and unfairly biased in its coverage. Then there was the matter of Markle's family. Her father, Thomas, spent a great deal of time cashing in on tidbits about his famous daughter. The Duchess of Sussex was reportedly deeply embarrassed by some of the betrayals of her confidence that he delivered to the very same outlets she and her husband have been fighting in court. Finally, the demands on their personal lives had to have been a factor as well. Meghan and Harry are both driven by a love of philanthropy. Although they have causes that are dear to their hearts, there were opportunities that may have fallen by the wayside while in service to The Queen. Now, that's no longer a factor.
Frogmore cottage, which sits on the grounds of the Windsor Estate, was historical long before Meghan and Harry's affiliation with it. In 1897, a personal secretary of Queen Victoria's named Abdul Karim moved there with his wife and father. The story was detailed in the feature film, Victoria & Abdul. In 2019, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex spent more than a reported $3.1M of the public fund renovating the house to a four-bedroom, single-family home, complete with its own nursery. According to The Huffington Post, since Prince Harry and Meghan's abdication, they are planning to refund the public that money they used on renovations.
Buckingham Palace said in a statement released Saturday, "With The Queen’s blessing, the Sussexes will continue to maintain their private patronages and associations." The statement continued, "While they can no longer formally represent The Queen, the Sussexes have made clear that everything they do will continue to uphold the values of Her Majesty."
Although the days of negotiation were a serious family affair, it's still slightly amusing to think that The Queen is making Meghan and Harry pay rent to live on her property. Is this rental fee symbolic, or will she be asking for the fair market value? Considering the personalized touches to the home they made while still under full-time royal employment, it's a respectful gesture that they will reimburse the public fund. Now, just like the rest of the world, Harry and Meghan will have to work to provide for themselves - a feat made easier by his privileged upbringing and her hard work as an actress and an activist. Even with the controversy surrounding their desire to leave their duties within the monarchy, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex were still in high demand in the days after the announcement, each fulfilling previously scheduled engagements at charitable organizations. Paying rent at Frogmore cottage is also likely to offset the cost of security and other expenses for the visiting Sussexes, now that they will no longer be accepting public funds. It's a fitting conclusion to Harry and Meghan's declaration of independence.
Source: Huffington Post