King Charles has made a big mistake by asking the Duke and Duchess of Sussex to leave Frogmore Cottage and reportedly offer it to the Duke of York, a royal expert has claimed. Harry and Meghan’s spokesperson has said a “request” was made for the Sussexes to give up the Grade II listed property, which is close to Windsor Castle. The move comes after Harry and Meghan made a series of bombshell allegations in their Netflix series and in the prince’s memoir, Spare.
Reports claim the move was sanctioned by King Charles and it will remove their remaining foothold in the UK, further weakening their ties with the Royal Family.
A spokesperson for the couple said on Wednesday: “We can confirm the Duke and Duchess of Sussex have been requested to vacate their residence at Frogmore Cottage.”
Royal expert and historian Dr Tessa Dunlop said many people in Britain felt “gleeful” on learning of the King’s tough stance with the Sussexes.
However, Dr Dunlop believes the move has gone against the wishes of Harry’s late grandmother, Queen Elizabeth II, who tried to keep him on board. She told the Mirror the “optics are terrible”.
The royal expert said: “Britain’s response to the news has, on the whole, been gleeful. On one level the vitriol is understandable.”
Even though Dr Dunlop admits public opinion in Britain may be on the King Charles’s side, the move could diminish the monarchy weeks before the Coronation.
The author of Elizabeth and Philip, The story of Young Love, Marriage and Monarchy added: “The late Queen tried hard to keep Harry on board. Frogmore Cottage was part of that package. She was likewise lenient with Andrew.”
Dr Dunlop told the Mirror: “Charles, in his effort to stamp authority on his reign, has undone those efforts, and by conflating the separate issues of Harry and Andrew through the prism of Frogmore Cottage it looks like our King cares more for his disgraced brother, than his conflicted son and foreign daughter-in-law.
“The court of mainstream public opinion may currently be on the King’s side, but internationally this move diminishes our monarchy just weeks before invitations go out to Britain’s biggest state ceremony of 2023, the coronation.
“An event where you can now look forward to seeing Prince Andrew, but probably not the Sussexes.”
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The decision over Frogmore is likely to be seen as a major rebuke by Charles to his son, who since moving to North America in 2020 has been highly critical of the monarchy and individuals within the institution, alleging racism and a lack of support.
With the couple’s permanent UK base now gone, there will be speculation about whether they will even receive an invite to the King’s Coronation on May 6.
Frogmore is a Grade-II listed property owned by the Crown Estate. It was a wedding gift to the couple from the late Queen.
In 2019, royal accounts showed Meghan and Harry paid £2.4million to cover the refurbishment and rental of the cottage, which is on the Home Park Estate at Windsor Castle. The Sussexes have only used the property a handful of times since they moved to the US.
The couple were funding the general up-keep of their former home, such as maintaining the garden, and were continuing to pay rent. That rental contract was described as a “good deal” for the taxpayer by a senior palace source in 2022.
Meanwhile, the Duke of York is reportedly “resisting” a move to Frogmore Cottage because he doesn’t want to downsize, according to a royal insider. They told The Sun Prince Andrew is not pleased with the news.
But a new Express.co.uk poll found three-quarters of readers support his being evicted from his £30million home, Royal Lodge.
Andrew stepped back from public life as a senior working royal four years ago. Since then he has been dependent on his annual £249,000 allowance.
But the King is expected to make a series of cuts to royal spending next month, including his brother’s allowance. This could mean Andrew can no longer afford to maintain the property.
The royal insider told The Sun: “Andrew is resisting the idea of moving into Frogmore Cottage after he was offered it last week. But it shows Harry and Meghan are powerless to stop the eviction.”
Speaking exclusively to Express.co.uk, royal expert Richard Fitzwilliams claimed the Sussexes had it coming, after reports the couple were stunned by the decision.
Mr Fitzwilliams said: “It will most certainly mean the Sussexes’ visits to Britain are few. It is their own fault because of their unpredictable and destructive behaviour.”
He added: “They are obsessed with controlling the narrative [and] here they are apparently ‘stunned’. They had it coming!”
