The property was originally going to be the home of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, along with their young son Archie, but the couple have since stepped down as senior royals and moved to the US. The couple had major renovations made to the house, costing the taxpayer £2.4million, which Harry later paid back. They were able to afford the repayment after signing a lucrative deal with Netflix rumoured to be worth more than £100million.
When Harry and Meghan stepped down at the end of March, they said they would split their time between the UK and North America, but have now handed over their UK residence to Harry’s cousin Eugenie.
One royal insider reporter said it is a “pretty strong sign” that they have “no plans to return”.
However, another source claimed Harry and Meghan will retain Frogmore Cottage as their British home and that they will share it with Eugenie and Jack when they visit the UK.
Eugenie, who married her beau Jack in October 2018, announced she was pregnant in September.
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Princess Eugenie and Jack Brooksbank have moved into Frogmore Cottage (Image: Instagram (Princess Eugenie) / The Duke of Sussex)
Frogmore Cottage is less than a mile from Windsor Castle (Image: GETTY)
The baby, expected early next year, will be the ninth great-grandchild for the Queen and Prince Philip.
This means Frogmore Cottage will be the place where she will be raising her baby, and her child will get to enjoy all the wonders of the area, including the huge private gardens, which at one point Meghan and Harry were “excited” for Archie to experience.
A confidante of Meghan spoke to the authors of Finding Freedom, a book about Meghan and Harry’s journey in the Royal Family, about this.
They told Omid Scobie and Carolyn Durand about Frogmore: “As a place to raise a child, it’s really lovely.
Eugenie and Jack tied the knot in October 2018 (Image: GETTY)
“They could open their door and have all of those private gardens.
“Both of them felt it would be a really positive thing for their child to be there, go on walks privately.
“While it wasn’t something they had considered before, once it became an option, they were both really excited about it.”
What’s more, Frogmore Cottage had a “special place in their hearts” according to a source close to the couple.
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Meghan and Harry stepped down as senior royals at the end of March (Image: GETTY)
This is because when they were falling in love, they were able to enjoy long walks on the private grounds of Frogmore House without fear of the paparazzi.
It was also the site of their engagement photos and wedding reception.
However, they have now shipped all their furniture to the US and handed over the keys to Eugenie and Jack two weeks ago.
The property was reportedly emptied out “in the dead of night” to avoid unwanted attention.
Eugenie and Jack are said to be “delighted” with the five-bedroom property.
The couple, who were previously living at Kensington Palace, will now be much closer to Eugenie’s parents Prince Andrew and Sarah, Duchess of York, who live four miles away at The Royal Lodge, Great Windsor Park.
They are also less than a mile from Windsor Castle, where the Queen is spending lockdown with Prince Philip.
One insider told the Daily Mail: “Frogmore was kitted out to Meghan and Harry’s tastes with son Archie in mind, so it is the perfect place for a couple to bring up a baby.”
Meanwhile, Meghan and Harry have moved to Montecito, California where they bought an £11.4million mansion.
The house features nine bedrooms and 16 bathrooms as well as luxuries like a library, a gym, separate wet and dry sauna, a lift, an arcade, a games room and a home theatre.
The Sussexes have done numerous video calls and speeches from their new house amid the coronavirus pandemic.
They have also launched their new non-profit organisation, Archewell.
‘Finding Freedom’ was written by Omid Scobie and Carolyn Durand and published by HQ in 2020. It is available here.
