A spokesperson for the Duke and Duchess of Sussex told CNN Wednesday that they had been asked to vacate Frogmore Cottage, their official UK residence. “We can confirm that The Duke and Duchess of Sussex have been asked to vacate their residence at Frogmore Cottage,” said the spokesperson.
An article in the British newspaper The Sun claimed the couple were being evicted from the property owned by the Crown Estate, and that it had been offered to Prince Andrew, a brother of King Charles III. A royal source told CNN that any such discussions would be a private family matter. Buckingham Palace declined to comment Wednesday.
The Sussexes now reside in the United States but kept the early 19th-century cottage as their UK base. Gifted to the Sussexes by Queen Elizabeth II, it is situated on the Windsor estate west of London.
Their son Archie arrived in May 2019 and they remodeled the property before moving in. However, the renovation sparked controversy after the couple stepped back from public life and it emerged that British taxpayers’ money had been used to renovate the cottage. As a result of their relocation to California, they have since paid back the public money.
A planning application to the local council detailed the removal of a chimney, the refinishing of the roof, the construction of new staircases, fireplaces, and a new “floating” wooden floor. All furnishings and fixtures were purchased privately by the duke and duchess. The Sussexes stayed at the property when they returned to the UK last year, including when they attended the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee celebrations during the summer.
In the Royal Lodge on Windsor estate, Prince Andrew currently resides. After a disastrous interview about his friendship with disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein engulfed the family in unprecedented crisis in 2019, the Duke of York also stepped back from royal duties in 2019. After Harry’s memoir “Spare” was released in January, the couple were reportedly asked to leave the property, reports The Sun.
.The 38-year-old royal held almost nothing back as he dismantled the public’s perception of him being the fun-loving, carefree party prince, and delved into the devastating impact of his mother’s death, his experimentation with drugs as a method of coping with grief, and his struggle to find love. The Buckingham Palace declined to comment on the memoir repeatedly.
As part of a Netflix documentary released last year and an explosive interview with Oprah Winfrey in 2021, the couple released their autobiography. They alleged there were “concerns” within the royal family about Archie’s skin color, described feeling trapped, and claimed Meghan had suicidal thoughts during her first pregnancy.
