Disgraced Prince Andrew is said to have finally agreed to give up the lavish Royal Lodge and has asked for Frogmore Cottage, the former home of Harry and Meghan, in exchage
Prince Andrew has finally agreed to give up Royal Lodge on the condition that both he and his ex-wife Sarah Ferguson are each given a new house in Windsor, according to reports. And the disgraced Duke is said to have his eye on Frogmore Cottage – the former home of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle.
Sarah, meanwhile, hopes to move to Adelaide Cottage – the current residence of the Prince and Princess of Wales.
But a friend of the couple has admitted that “no one is really sure how it’s going to go down at the Palace yet”.
They told the Sun: “Andy is willing to leave, but these are his demands. He is realistic and knows the writing is on the wall and that his time at Royal Lodge is up. If he must go then he has asked for Frogmore Cottage. Incredibly, Sarah has said she wants Adelaide Cottage.”
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Frogmore Cottage came to public attention as Harry and Meghan’s first marital home. The Grade II-listed real estate has been part of the royal family’s property portfolio since the 19th century.
Over the years, various royals have lived in the house, which was first built as a retreat for Queen Charlotte, the wife of King George III, in 1801.
Here’s everything you need to know about Andrew’s potential new home.
The cottage is located on the Frogmore estate, part of Home Park in Windsor. It is owned by the Crown Estate, but is used as a private royal residence and is therefore not open to the public. Ownership is passed from monarch to monarch.
The property was built near Frogmore House under Queen Charlotte’s orders and was originally named Double Garden Cottage.
In 1875, Queen Victoria had breakfast there. A volume of letters written by her, it was revealed that she had seen an “immense number of little frogs” during her brief time there, which she found “quite disgusting”, according to the Independent.
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Harry and Meghan moved into Frogmore Cottage in 2019 after it was gifted to them by the late Queen following their marriage the previous year. The couple carried out renovations on the cottage using £2.4million of taxpayer’s money – but they later paid it back in full by making a contribution to the Sovereign Grant.
When Frogmore Cottage was built, it originally had 10 bedrooms, but after Harry and Meghan’s renovation it became a five-bedroom property. It also now includes two orangeries, a vegetable garden and a yoga studio, reports House & Garden.
The couple reportedly turned to Vicky Charles of Charles & Co design studio to oversee the interiors of their home. Charles was best known for decorating Soho Farmhouse and worked for Soho House for 20 years before starting her own practice.
Harry and Meghan gave fans a sneak peek inside Frogmore Cottage in their Netflix docuseries, Harry & Meghan, which was released in December 2022. In one black-and-white photograph, the couple could be seen sharing a kiss while Meghan sits on a kitchen counter.
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The couple last spent time at the cottage in 2022, when they came to the UK to attend the late Queen’s Platinum Jubilee celebrations, and they also hosted their daughter Lilibet’s first birthday there.
It was reported that Harry’s cousin, Princess Eugenie, and her husband Jack Brooksbank moved into the property in 2021 after they had their first child. But it appeared to be a temporary arrangement, with reports stating they moved out only a few weeks later.
Reports that Andrew could be set to move into the cottage come after it was revealed that he has not paid rent on Royal Lodge for more than two decades.
The revelation helped to explain how he and his ex-wife Sarah have been able to afford to remain in the huge 30-room estate. And it also added to the ongoing pressure for him to finally give it up.
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Andrew and Sarah live together in separate wings at the Lodge, despite divorcing in 1996. But calls for the scandal-ridden former couple to evict the sprawling property are now at an all-time high.
Buckingham Palace has long tried to place pressure on the King’s younger brother to voluntarily give the residence up, including Charles cutting his annual allowance last year.
Andrew reportedly initially tried to dig his heels in and cite the terms of his “cast iron” 75-year lease with the Crown Estate. But in the face of public outrage, he has seemingly been convinced to move out.
A friend of Andrew and Sarah added that the plan the couple have put forward will serve as “a fresh start for both”.
They said: “Frogmore Cottage is too small for both and Adelaide Cottage is around the corner, so they will see each other whenever they want.
“Both have space for their daughters Eugenie and Beatrice and their families to visit.”
