By Oyintari Ben
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex have been asked to leave Frogmore Cottage, the couple’s official residence in the UK, their spokeswoman said on Wednesday.
The official stated, “We can confirm that The Duke and Duchess of Sussex have been asked to leave their house at Frogmore Cottage.”
The announcement came in response to a report in the British daily – The Sun, stating that the two were being evicted from the Crown Estate-owned home and Prince Andrew, one of King Charles III’s brothers, had subsequently been offered the property.
On Wednesday, Buckingham Palace announced that it would not comment. Any such discussions would be a private family matter; a royal source informed the media.
While living in the United States, Prince Harry and Meghan still use the early 19th-century property as their base in the UK. The cottage, which the late Queen Elizabeth II gave to the Sussex family as a gift, is tucked away in the corner of the Windsor estate, west of London.
Prior to the birth of their son Archie in May 2019, they renovated the home and moved in.
However, the makeover aroused debate as the couple withdrew from public view, and it became known that the cottage’s renovations had cost British taxpayers £2.4 million (about $3 million). After moving to California, they subsequently repaid the public funds.
When they visited the UK last year, the Sussex family stayed at the residence, and also when they attended the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee festivities in the summer.
Prince Andrew lives close by in the Royal Lodge on the Windsor estate. The Duke of York also took a break from royal duties in 2019 when the family experienced an unprecedented crisis following a catastrophic interview about his association with notorious billionaire Jeffrey Epstein.
Days after the publication of Harry Potter’s memoir “Spare” in January, the pair allegedly received a request to vacate the property, according to The Sun.
The 38-year-old royal revealed everything as he tore apart the public’s image of him as the carefree, fun-loving party prince and dug into the tragic effects of his mother’s passing, his use of drugs as a coping mechanism for loss, and his troubles with finding love.
Buckingham Palace refuses to comment on the memoir on several occasions.
