The Duke and Duchess of Sussex struck a deal with Buckingham Palace over the rent of Frogmore Cottage in late 2020, officials have revealed. In September 2020, shortly after it was revealed they entered a multi-year partnership with Netflix, Meghan and Harry refunded the £2.4million taken from the Sovereign Grant to renovate the cottage in Windsor when they were newlyweds. At the time, the Palace said the residence would remain the official home of Meghan, Harry and Archie in the UK, despite they had relocated to the US months prior. While it had been reported the Sussexes would pay a “commercial rate” for the Windsor home, Palace officials have revealed the millions-worth payment had wiped out the couple’s rental obligations. The increased value of the cottage in the wake of the renovations was taken as “rent in lieu”.
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A Palace spokesperson told the Mail on Sunday: “The Duke and Duchess of Sussex made a contribution of £2.4 million to the Sovereign Grant which covered the refurbishment of Frogmore Cottage. They have fulfilled their financial obligations in relation to the property.
“In line with usual practice for the Sovereign Grant report, the accounting treatment was scrutinised and signed off by the National Audit Office and the Treasury. As with any such agreement between landlord and tenant, further details regarding the Sussexes’ tenancy arrangements would be a private matter.”
It’s estimated Frogmore Cottage, in which Meghan and Harry lived until mid-November 2019 before taking a six-week break from royal duties to Canada and subsequently taking the decision to remain in North America, would cost between £150,000 and £230,000 a year in rent. With their payment, the Sussexes may have saved up to £690,000.
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