HOUSE ABOUT IT
Inside Meghan Markle’s ‘struggles’ with 10-bed Frogmore Cottage & how she spent £2.4m on it before fleeing to the US
We shared the Sussexes' swanky new mansion in California
WHILE living in a royal property may sound like an enviable dream, it’s not without its challenges, according to experts.
Before they left the UK to start a new life in California, Meghan Markle and Prince Harry lived at the Grade II-listed Frogmore Cottage in Windsor.
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The couple moved into the 1801 property in April 2019 after it had been extensively renovated to the tune of £2.4million out of the taxpayer’s pocket.
The renovations required for Frogmore Cottage were reported to have included new heating, wiring and utilities meaning the property had a "substantial overhaul".
While it may seem like an eye-watering sum to many, real estate expert and founder of Bramlett Residential Eric Bramlett claims maintaining and upkeeping royal residences is a costly and tricky business.
Royal renovations
He told Fabulous: “Maintaining a historic royal residence is an enormous undertaking that requires a full team of experts working tirelessly year-round.
“One of the biggest challenges with these historic royal residences is the exceptional regulatory hurdles.
“There are strict rules around what updates or changes can be made.
“Architects and designers then spend several hundred hours carefully planning any alterations and selecting appropriate materials that align with preservation standards.
“After that, you have highly skilled tradespeople like plasterers, carpenters, upholsterers and specialist painters devoting hundreds more hours to meticulously executing the restoration plans.
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“You have to jump through a ton of hoops getting approvals for even minor alterations.
“Sourcing appropriate materials, tools and skilled craftspeople capable of working on centuries-old building materials and antique furniture is no easy feat either.”
He added that the “costs are “substantial” and renovations are a “labour of love for the staff committed to the work.”
Inside Meghan Markle and Prince Harry's homes - from Frogmore Cottage's nursery for Archie and Lilibet to LA mansion
Eric continued: “Major capital renovations can easily run into the multi-millions, like the £2.4 million for the Duke and Duchess of Sussex's overhaul of Frogmore Cottage.”
He added that upkeep would also have been pricey.
Eric added: “Upwards of £2-5 million annually is a reasonable estimate for basic operating costs - utilities, staff salaries, supplies, repairs, insurance, security and so on.
“This team handles a wide range of comprehensive responsibilities - cleaning, maintenance, restoration work, landscaping, event planning, visitor services, security, and more.
"It's an around-the-clock job.”
Rules Meghan and Harry's Frogmore Cottage neighbours were given
At a residents' meeting, neighbours of the royals were given a list of "do and don't commandments
- Don't approach or instigate conversation if you see the couple
- Do say 'Good Morning' or some other pleasantry if they speak to you
- Don't pet or stroke their dogs, even if they come over to you
- Don't offer to walk their dogs
- Don't ask to see baby Archie or offer to babysit
- Don't post anything through the letterbox of Frogmore Cottage
This included royal staff, officials who live in grace-and-favour houses, and Crown Estate employees.
The late Queen Elizabeth gifted the couple their cottage for the wedding, and they moved in a year later.
Meghan and Harry's UK home
Frogmore Cottage is located in the Frogmore Estate which has 33 acres of private gardens within the Home Park, adjoining Windsor Castle in Berkshire.
It was in the grounds of Windsor Castle that Harry and Meghan got married on May 19, 2018, at St George's Chapel.
Maintaining a historic royal residence is an enormous undertaking that requires a full team of experts working tirelessly year-round
Eric Bramlett
Harry and Meghan agreed to pay back the money for the refurbishment when they moved to the United States and gave up their royal titles.
It was reported in 2020 that they paid back the money after securing their £112 million Netflix series 'Harry & Meghan'.
The royal residence now has a designer kitchen and refitted bathroom.
The main renovation took around six months but some work is still outstanding, such as repainting the exterior and landscaping the grounds.
Palace sources said that the cost will not be revealed as it is “part of a five-year repainting and repair programme”.
The Sussex eviction
On February 28, 2023, it was exclusively revealed by The Sun that Harry and Meghan were evicted from Frogmore Cottage by King Charles.
Their eviction came following the release of Prince Harry's memoir Spare.
The memoir was an opportunity for Harry to tell his story following the events of Megxit.
Publishers Penguin Round House stated the book was ''raw, unflinching honesty'' as well as being ''full of insight, revelation, self-examination, and hard-won wisdom about the eternal power of love over grief".
It added: "Spare takes readers immediately back to one of the most searing images of the twentieth century: two young boys, two princes, walking behind their mother’s coffin as the world watched in sorrow—and horror.
"As Diana, Princess of Wales, was laid to rest, billions wondered what the princes must be thinking and feeling—and how their lives would play out from that point on."
It was reported the couple handed back the keys to the property on June 28, 2023.
Californian mansion
They now live in a £12million mansion in Montecito with their kids, Prince Archie, four, and Princess Lilibet, two.
The sprawling nine-bed, 16-bath home in Santa Barbara sits on 5.4 acres of land and features a library, office, spa, gym, game room, wine cellar and five-car garage, it's believed.
Read more on the Scottish Sun
The estate also boasts sweeping lawns, tiered rose gardens, tall Italian cypress trees, blooming lavender, olive trees, a tennis court, tea house, children's cottage and a pool.
The couple have treated fans to glimpses of their multiple living spaces on several occasions - showing off a minimalist vibe.
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