The Sussexes: Oprah couldn’t believe how tiny Nottingham Cottage was

So there’s a lot of talking and complaining about Netflix’s Harry & Meghan. The complaints are about everything from “where’s the proof?!?!” to “how dare they” to “Netflix is just like the Daily Mail!” One of the funniest f–king complaints I’ve seen is all of the performative outrage about Harry and Meghan’s comments about Nottingham Cottage. When they met, Harry was living in NotCot as a bachelor – it’s a two-bedroom “cottage” within the Kensington Palace complex, and while the real estate is prime, it wasn’t suited for two fully-grown adults, two dogs and what would soon become a growing family. Meghan spoke about how Oprah came for tea and she was shocked by the state of NotCot:

Meghan Markle and Prince Harry’s first home of Nottingham Cottage took Oprah Winfrey by surprise when she popped by for a visit.

“Oprah came over for tea, didn’t she?” the Duke of Sussex, 38, asked his wife in episode 4 of their new Netflix docuseries Harry & Meghan, the second volume of which premiered on Thursday.

“She did,” said Meghan, 41, to which Harry responded, “And when she came in, she sat down and she goes, ‘No one would ever believe it!'”

“‘No one would ever believe it!’ ” the Duchess of Sussex echoed, laughing.

The couple had been discussing the size of Nottingham Cottage, the residence on the grounds of Kensington Palace in London where they first lived together following their 2017 engagement.

“As far as people were concerned, we were living in a palace — and we were, in a cottage on palace grounds,” Harry said.

“We were living on palace grounds, yeah,” Meghan added. “Kensington Palace sounds very regal — of course, it does, it says ‘palace’ in the name, but Nottingham Cottage was a small [house].”

“The whole thing’s on a slight lean. Really low ceilings — I don’t know who it was ever for. They must’ve been very short,” the prince joked.

“He would just hit his head constantly in that place, ’cause he’s so tall,” Meghan said with a laugh. “Me with a hoe, and H varnishing. It was just a chapter in our lives where I don’t think anyone could believe what it was actually like behind the scenes.”

[From People]

To be clear, I don’t think Meghan and Harry were complaining, per se, they were just emphasizing that NotCot probably wouldn’t be realistic for them when they grew to a family of three (plus two dogs). Even back then, I noted how unusual it was that QEII didn’t offer them an upgrade as soon as they got married, which is what she usually did once someone got married. The newlyweds would get the gift of new titles and a new home. It was months and months after the wedding when QEII offered Frogmore Cottage to the Sussexes, and back then, Frogmore was little more than a dilapidated shack. The Windsors really didn’t want to put Harry and his biracial wife in a nice house.

The photos from NotCot – which were shown in the Netflix series – were hilarious too. The too-short doorways! Guy and Bogart Markle were like “we were living in a luxurious pad in Toronto and now we’re living in this tiny dollhouse??” It’s so sweet how Harry immediately fell for Meghan’s dogs though.

Photos courtesy of the Sussexes/Netflix.

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260 Responses to “The Sussexes: Oprah couldn’t believe how tiny Nottingham Cottage was”

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  1. Snuffles says:

    You know Oprah went back to America and told Gayle that Knot Cott was ghetto as fuck.

    That place was the royal equivalent of putting Harry in the cupboard under the stairs like Harry Potter.

    • Moxylady says:

      Harry was like –
      Stop talking about my brown suede shoes! No brown suede shoes in the doc! ……. And he’s barefoot instead 😂😂😂

    • Eggbert says:

      @snuffles 🤣

    • swaz says:

      UNBELIEVABLE😂AFTER I SAW WHERE THEY WERE LIVING I FINALLY REALISE WHY THE BRITISH PRESS IS SO DETERMINED TO SILENCE THEM🙄

    • PrincessK says:

      I think that there is some misinterpretation here.
      William and Kate also lived at Nott Cott for a while. It was never going to be permanent but an opportunity for a couple to be intimate and no need loads of staff as in grander residences.

      • equality says:

        W&K probably stayed there some but they already had Anmer at that time so not exactly the same.

      • Becks1 says:

        No, if I’m remembering my timing correctly, they didn’t get Anmer until AFTER they had KP 1A. That was kind of a sticking point, all this money was spent on 1A and then they peaced out to Norfolk for years.

        They did have Nott Cott for the first two years of their marriage if my timeline is correct but the Queen gave them 1A after a year, maybe 18 months? It just took a while to be renovated. Remember Kate kept changing the paint colors while she was pregnant with George. But George stayed with them in Nott Cott for the first little while (again if I’m remember correctly.) Then they got Anmer and renovated that and moved out there.

        But even for those first two years, they were officially based in Wales in a large farmhouse/estate with a chef and other help.

        I think some others may remember the timeline better than I do.

      • swaz says:

        You can’t even get ice out of the fridge HA!HA! I had one of those in my dorm room🤣

      • DK says:

        @Becks1: I think you might not be remembering the timing correctly.

        Anmer was their wedding gift from the queen, they got it when they got married. It was 1A that caused a ruffle, because they’d already spent millions of pounds renovating Anmer, then only actually lived in it for 2 years before deciding they wanted a London home too, so they promised KP was going to be their forever home.
        (Until they decided they wanted Windsor Castle under the guise of Adelaide).

        While the reno work was being done on Anmer they split time between Nottingham Cottage and Angesley, Wales, so a little different than it being their primary residence as it was for H&M.

      • PrincessK says:

        George was born when they were there and it was their London base.

      • Becks1 says:

        @DK nope, I just looked it and my timeline is pretty accurate. They moved into 1A shortly after George was born, it was being renovated when Kate was pregnant. Then they got Anmer Hall and paid (“privately”) for that to be renovated and they moved there full time after that until 2017 when they moved back to 1A bc Kate was finally going to be a FT royal and then just kidding, she’s not, she’s pregnant.

        so 1A was first and then Anmer. And while they did bring George home to Nott Cott, at that point they already knew it was very temporary bc they were moving to 1A.

      • equality says:

        Anmer was a wedding gift from TQ. Apparently it took them several years to renovate it to their satisfaction. There are articles from when they got married that said they had a suite at CH also.

      • C says:

        Equality and DK are correct. Anmer was a wedding gift – Hello, Vogue, and other outlets confirm it. They just didn’t move into it till 2013 because of the renovations (I’d be sympathetic about that if it hadn’t just been renovated by the previous owner so it’s not like it wasn’t livable, not to mention their lease was cut short to allow Will and Kate to move in). And yes about the suite at CH at their wedding.
        So the residences Will and Kate had to choose from at their marriage were: Anmer Hall, the Clarence House suite, the large Anglesey house, the new multimillion dollar home that William probably helped the Middletons buy. If they spent any time at Nottingham it was very brief and they most definitely did not live there. Harry moved in in 2013.

      • C says:

        My bad, the Middletons didn’t move into that big home until 2012. But it still was a frequent location for them, before having a child.

      • Agreatreckoning says:

        Doing some searching, Anmer Hall was a wedding gift-2011. A number of articles say that that the Anglesey house was their primary residence from 2011-2013. Nott Cott was their supposed residence when in London. The Anglesey place (which to me looks awesome) is considered, per reports, Prince George’s first home.
        https://abcnews.go.com/GMA/Culture/prince-william-kate-travel-anglesey-wales-1st-family/story?id=90533706

        At best, W&K, stayed at Nott Cott a handfull of times. They didn’t live there. Loling at RR’s & “historians” claiming otherwise. We’ve stayed at some really great hotels/resorts for a weekend a number of times. Pretty sure it doesn’t qualify us as having lived there. I bet Will stayed at Nott Cott “alone” without Kate quite often.

      • Blujfly says:

        The only night ever confirmed they lived there was the night they brought George home because they had to wait for the queen to come visit him. And they complained to the media about the size and the lack of air conditioning and how upset Kate was and desperate to get to Bucklebury

    • GDubslady says:

      The Sussexes repaid for costs of renovation on Frogmore and are still paying a very expensive monthly rental to maintain the residence while the rest of the royals live in their properties rent free with servants.

      • Kathryn says:

        “rent free” because they are working royals, that’s the difference

      • Debbie says:

        I think that the quotation marks belong around the word “working” not around rent free, to be more accurate.

      • Emily_C says:

        “Working.”

        So how do I get a “job” like that, where I have 4 mansions, incredibly expensive clothes, servants, absolutely everything paid for, for going to Christmas concerts and visiting a place for an hour or two every couple weeks?

      • AnneL says:

        In response to Kathryn:

        They are being paid for “working” at the expense of taxpayers, many of whom will be facing a lack of heat, food and shelter in the coming months. Already are.

        H and M offered to keep working (actually, really working) on behalf of the Commonwealth without taking a cent from taxpayers, but were turned down. How crazy is that?

        Very crazy.

    • Christine says:

      LMAO, Snuffles! You nailed it, it is exactly like the cupboard under the stairs!

      To everyone who is acting like Harry and Meghan should just be grateful, I wish you a life of living in a leaning house. My first house, with my then husband, was on a slant, and was beyond awful. Two fully grown adults regularly rolled out of bed and landed on the floor, we had fluffy bath mats on the floor on the side we landed on.

      • Crystalline says:

        That property is 50% larger than the average UK home. It’s not a shed or a hovel or a cupboard under the stairs, it’s a perfectly nice and spacious house for a couple.

      • TikiChica says:

        I agree with Crystalline, pus I will add that the location is pretty much the best in London, one of the most expensive cities in the world. A “cupboard under the stairs” as you guys are calling it, in that location would cost millions of pounds. A literal former broom cupboard in Knightsbridge sold for £200k

      • teecee says:

        It’s still pretty garbage compared to Meghan’s old home in Toronto, which is part of the point. The inbreds accuse her of being a gold digger when her life before Harry was far more luxurious than the one she had right after marrying him.

        (Now of course she’s back in California, thank goodness.)

      • TikiChica says:

        Location, location, location! Toronto, with all due respect, is not Kensington. She lived in what looked like a suburb. I am sure you get a house just as nice in a London suburb as well.

      • Peachy says:

        Christine, that is hilarious…love the fluffy rugs! The old cabin on a lake we moved into apparently leaned as well, which I didn’t understand until I’d adjusted the picture on the bedroom wall about 30 times…finally realizing the direction I was moving it depended upon if I was looking at the top/ceiling or bottom/dresser! I spent several months randomly noticing the picture was crooked and ‘fixing’ it lol

        KnotCot was fine for a short time, but it does seem as if H&M were there quite a while. It was no doubt great for the memories, though. Love the pictures in the garden and with the dogs!

    • Agreatreckoning says:

      LOL @Snuffles. I think the Keebler elves had more room in their tree home.

      • Andrea says:

        @tikichica Meghan did not live in a suburb of Toronto. I live in Meghan’s former neighborhood. It is midtown, not terribly far from Casa Loma(castle on the hill some rich guy went broke building 100 years ago, now it is a tourist attraction). Her former house is a 15 minute walk from me(I live closer to Casa Loma). That flower shop she visited I pass all the time is on Avenue Road near Davenport.

      • Nick G says:

        @Andrea I too used to live on Davenport under Casa Loma, and it is decidedly not a suburb. I screamed when I saw the flower shop on Av and Dav where I used to buy early morning flowers for design shows. It’s a wonderful area, and close to both the super rich neighborhoods and the slightly more run down ones.

  2. NG_76 says:

    My house is 1100 square feet we are 4 adults and a teen and a dog. Plenty of room.. rich people problems sorry.

    • Snuffles says:

      Are your ceilings and doorways so low that you have to constantly duck or hit your head?

      • Chantal says:

        @Snuffles. …”little ghetto hobbit house” 😂😂😂😂

      • NG_76 says:

        I’m 5’1 so no lmao that would be really low doorways.

      • usavgjoe says:

        The problem with all this is the RF allowed the Britishmedi@ to say all kinds ofsh!# about Meghan and that she needs to be happy she’s living in a palace… and in reality her Condo in in Toronto was way more luxurious than that cheap r@ci$+QE2was willing to spend on them but here are the Facts Folks:

        WorkShyWill and MumblesKhate were given once married from QE2

        Paid for by The Princes’ Sovereign Grant (the taxes of the British people)

        1) Anmer Hall, 3,167 sq. Ft estate

        Over £4 million pounds in renovations, for kitchen modernization and a £2million driveway–requested by the couple

        Zero £ repaid back by the couple

        2) Kensington Palace Apartment 1A, 20,800 sq. Ft Palace Apartment

        Over £7.6 million pounds in renovations requested by the couple

        Zero £ repaid back by the couple

        3) 2 other estates, a total of 4 estates before his father assumed the throne all paid for by The Princes’ Sovereign Grant (the taxes of the British people)

        H&M were given once married fromQE2

        Nothing. 

        1) The couple moved back into H bachelor Nottingham Cottage 2 Floor, 818 sq. Ft, on the Kensington Palace grounds, a former servants quarter. 

        Paid for by The Princes’ Sovereign Grant (the taxes of the British people)

        2) FrogmoreCottage, 1,647 sq. Ft., given to them byQE2, a a former servants quarter on the grounds of Windsor Park. Paid for by The Princes’ Sovereign Grant (the taxes of the British people)

        Over £2.4 million pounds in renovations requested by the couple

        £2.4 million pounds in full repaid back by the couple

        3) H&M bought their own home with some of her millions and some of his inherited millions from his Mom, Diana.

        Montecito California Mansion, 11,416 sq. Ft.

        Thank God they’re free.

      • equality says:

        @avgjoe Agree. But the renovations on Frogmore weren’t all requested by H&M. A lot of it was necessary to make it habitable.

      • Becks1 says:

        Not all those renovation costs were paid for by the sovereign grant. I think Anmer was paid for “privately” (which means Cornwall or Lancaster money, but not the SG.)

        But, nothing has been reimbursed obviously.

      • Shawna says:

        @usavgjoe – Anmer Hall isn’t 3,167 sq ft. My own middle class house is 2,700 sq ft. It’s 44,970 according to Google.

      • Agreatreckoning says:

        Right @equality. Emily Andrews put out that article of lies that the renos to Frogmore cottage were fancy schmancy stuff. Anyone posting here, that has had to do the freaking a$$ boring things to their house knows otherwise. The majority of expenses to Frogmore Cottage were to upgrade electric & plumbing standards. Those two things are very expensive. D@mn, we just spent $20k on a new roof, gutters, downspouts whatnot. Which is cheap for 1500 sq. ft home. A friend did the work. A reminder: the Sussexes paid back the money for the renovations.

    • Jais says:

      That’s missing the point. Listen, I’d live there. It’s prime real estate london. The point is that people generally imagine what it’s like to live at a palace and marry a prince. How many hallmark movies are there about this? This just is not what people would ever imagine and the reality is funny in comparison.

      • Snuffles says:

        Right, the point was to counter the narrative that Meghan was a gold digging bitch that was expecting to be pampered and live in the lap of luxury 24/7. When, in fact, she was more than happy to live in her little ghetto hobbit house as long as she was with Harry.

      • Erin says:

        @Jais-I agree, they weren’t saying they were ungrateful or thought they deserved better and how unfair it was. They were trying to point out that the picture painted in the press about Meghan being a gold digger and the two of them living in a luxurious palace simply was not true and another example of them being lied about. When you have people like Howard Stern taking shit about how good they had it they have in their minds that they lived like W&K who actually do live in a G-D palace and more than one! Plus with those two I don’t think they cared where they lived they just needed a room lol.

      • Lola says:

        Exactly! I live in the U.K. and have lived in London and visited all over. Some of the cottages that you think are divine from the outside are not very liveable inside! And yes, low ceilings, dark, freezing!

        Of course it’s prime real estate and yes I would enjoy living there (2 bedrooms in central london!) but the reality is they can be very pokey.

        I don’t think they’re complaining at all- just telling a story.

      • BueDot says:

        There’s lots of old houses and cottages in the UK which are like Harry described, with low ceilings, door frames on the slant, tiny windows and tiny rooms. I used to live in one too and it’s not my thing but some people seem to really love those properties.

        What I got from it is that it felt like two wealthy people who momentarily showed they don’t understand how many other people live.

        There are families crammed into overcrowded houses here, in situations which really aren’t fair but they don’t have a choice.

        Granted, I didn’t think they were complaining but they were saying it was too small. Yet there are couples who have a baby and are happy to have their own two bed flat or tiny terrace house.

      • Nedsdag says:

        @Erin, this was the same Howard Stern who said many years ago that Diana should’ve shut her mouth and stayed in that toxic marriage. This is the same man who couldn’t save his own first marriage. TBTH, I truly think he wants Harry to leave Meghan so he can dump Beth to get a shot at her.

      • Agreatreckoning says:

        @BueDot, It’s great that you brought the points of the fallacy of relative privation up. Thank you! The Sussexes were not complaining. They were laughing. I have no doubt they enjoyed living a very cozy, intimate life in the Keebler house. The joke is anyone thinking that Meghan moved onto a more spatial/palacial place when she moved over there.

        Guy on Harry’s lap. That’s some love. Is that a hummingbird pic in the background?

    • Cerys says:

      Plenty of people would be glad to be given a free house regardless of its size.

      • Eurydice says:

        They didn’t say anything about not being grateful to have a house, just that it’s not what one would expect when they hear “Kensington Palace.”

      • Isabella says:

        Few people would be happy in a tiny overcrowded cottage with ceilings that were too low for them. A cottage so oddly constructed that it slants. Fun to bump your head.Meghan and Harry described it in good humor. Meanwhile even the pedophile uncle was given an enormous house on an estate. William and Kate now have 4 houses. But then all of them have white skin. That is the point.

      • C says:

        Cute. I assume those “plenty of people” would also be similarly happy to pay $3.2 million for a house that was “free” because they were harassed out of it.
        Nice try.

      • Sass says:

        @Cerys Plenty of people also know how to grasp the full context of the subject they’re discussing too, but here you are.

        Also nothing is ever fully free. An example of this is Habitat for Humanity. There is an application and rigorous selection process. If you are late even by one minute they remove you from the pool. They ask you where you’d like to live. They explain you still have to pay a mortgage and you must live in the home for 15 years before selling it, then they have the option to buy it back from you at the price it was when you bought it, with no regard for market appreciation. You are allowed to decline three properties – once you decline the third they remove you from the pool. Then after you get to the part where they offer you a home comes the bait and switch. They are in remote outskirts of town and/or in poor areas and they want all the new homeowners to be in the same space. Not a house. Multi family housing. No yards. No garages. Not near your current community. We were offered a townhome 45 minutes away from our entire community. We declined it. In the meeting another woman piped up and said “I don’t care where the place is as long as it’s free.” I immediately replied, “it’s NOT free. We still have to pay to live there. And if this is what they’re offering, I would rather spend my money elsewhere.” They offered us one more property after that, in a neighborhood 30 minutes away behind a dog food factory and five child predators within 1/4 mile of each other. Obviously, we declined. But I guess I should’ve been grateful right? Because it was “free”?

      • Sms says:

        I agree. While I didn’t read it as a complaint it came across as tone deaf. Few people get a house of any size handed to them on marriage with the follow up offer of an apartment in Kensington Palace or a cottage in Windsor.

      • yellowy says:

        You might joyfully show gratitude to the universe for living on house that slants. Not me. Nosireebob.

    • K says:

      Agree, this comes off badly during our current cost of living crisis. Yes it was small but it was free.

      • dee(2) says:

        They weren’t living there during the cost-of-living crisis though, and I would think it comes off worse to have someone else living in a 180 room mansion, and another who isn’t a working royal period still living in royal lodge. It ties directly into the criticism they still get about how they were ” given” a 30-million-dollar wedding, and lived at Kensington Palace, etc. It shows that from the very beginning things were not what they seemed, and they absolutely were treated differently.

      • Isabella says:

        Harry was a working royal. So it wasn’t free. William and Kate just acquired a 4th home during the same crisis despite living in an enormous flat in the same palace. Harry and Meghan can’t ever be grateful enough.

      • C says:

        Again, it wasn’t free, because they paid that $3.2 million for it.
        I love the random commenters doing the “poverty concern trolling”. Go volunteer at a soup kitchen instead of wasting time here, lol.

      • Tan says:

        You sound like such a lovely and charitable person, which soup kitchen are u working at this holiday?

      • TigerMcQueen says:

        They did not complain about the size of the cottage, it was used to juxtapose the narrative in the press (“Me-gain the gold digger who expects nothing but luxury!!!!”) and the reality.

      • ProfPlum says:

        @K, Kate, is that you? Come the eff on. They weren’t complaining. They were saying that their reality didn’t align with how people expected them to live. People assumed that they were living in luxury–like all of his grasping relatives–but they were actually living (happily) in very modest circumstances. It was not giving the finger to those in the midst of a cost of living crisis (that could be resolved by further taxing everyone with a gold piano). It was simply making the point that she wasn’t a gold digger intent on living that princess lifestyle. Save your performative outrage for Ma Middleton.

      • Debbie says:

        Anyone who gladly pays for the castles, clothes, and gold pianos of multi-millionaires has nothing to complain about. So, what is that expression? Oh, yes, so pass me with that old saw about the cost of living.

    • Moxylady says:

      Legit though. What is happening in the kitchen. There seems to be a wall on one side so not even a proper galley kitchen. A black door that doesn’t seem like it would have the space to open.
      This was when William and Kate renovated their Amner mansion and had the 23 room palace appt, right?
      Spare indeed.

      • Agreatreckoning says:

        I’m just dying at the bright orange sticker on the appliance in the background of the galley kitchen. NOTT COTT. It’s like a do not remove from pillow tag.

    • swaz says:

      I notice a lot of people compare Prince Harry to themselves, I WAS SHOCKED TO SEE THEM LIVING THERE, THEY ARE RICH PEOPLE THAT’S WHY I’M SHOCKED😆

      • Tan says:

        So many concerned ppl being throughout all the comments – omg I wouldn’t do that, if that were me I’d …….. OK we get it ur so much better than Harry and Meghan, so much more virtuous! While we’re at it you’re also way prettier too!

      • Christine says:

        EXACTLY, swaz and Tan. Um, no one is looking at the British royal family to see a reflection of their own life. Ever.

        I love the people jumping in to talk about Willnot and Cannot maybe spending time in Nottingham cottage. And? They have helicopters and 5 homes, that’s why you are interested in them.

        Just call a spade a spade.

    • molly says:

      Was it built in 1660?

      I lived in an 1100 sq ft home once too, but it was constructed using modern building codes, standard door heights, and with a flow that made the spaces relatively usable.

      I’m not saying H&M were burdened in their free home (AND NEITHER ARE THEY), but it’s certainly not Anmer, that’s for sure.

    • C says:

      Does your sibling also own 4 homes of his own and your father several palaces?

    • Tan says:

      And what were ur other royal siblings gifted pls do tell? Also are u a hugger?

    • Luna17 says:

      Ya… we are a family of 4 in a 2 bedroom/1 bath 900 sq foot house. It’s not great but hundreds of families in my city alone are homeless and sleeping in shelters and cars and the cold streets. Most of the world lives with less than I do. No one “deserves” a castle or mansion while so many humans struggle for shelter. The house is fine.

      • C says:

        Give me the specific quote where they say they “deserved” a bigger house.

      • Saucy&Sassy says:

        Luna, perhaps you could write a note to Fails and Wails and all of the other royal family members. You never know, they might open up one of their palaces or mansions to house the homeless.

      • Sophie says:

        Luna 17 I agree. People keep saying they never complained about the size. But they did refer to Oprah’s comments about how small it is. So, they complained by proxy; it’s the oldest PR trick in the book. And saying they weren’t living there during the housing crisis is a distinction without a difference. The crisis has been looming for months and this part of the story is tone deaf.

    • Malificent says:

      Yep — 1 adult, 1 teenager, 3 cats. 950 sq feet. My mom grew up sharing one bedroom with 4 sisters — and her 4 brothers slept in the basement. I shared a room until I was 14. No complaints here about our space.

      Love grows best in small houses.

      • MsIam says:

        Pass that on to W&K why don’t you. Maybe that’s their problem, too much room.

      • C says:

        OMG MsIam I just snorted my water, LOL.

      • TigerMcQueen says:

        Were stories being written about you in the press about how you were a gold digger who expected to live in the lap of luxury even though you were perfectly happy in that 950 sq foot house?

        Were people shocked at the size of your place was when the narrative in the press was you’re a prince who lives in castles?

        THAT’s the point H&M were making.

      • Saucy&Sassy says:

        Malificent, why is that important? Are you trying to send a message to the royal family to make some palaces available to people who can no longer afford food and heat? I think that’s a great idea, but you you’re talking to wrong people. I suggest a letter to the brf. I have no doubt that you will be able to get the others you feels as you do to sign that letter with you. I hope you are able to make a change.

      • Sass says:

        I guess quote whatever cliche expression you can to justify having a one sided social competition with a black woman who grew up living over a garage

      • H says:

        I think what HM were trying to convey was the media trying to sell Meghan as a gold digger and here’s she’s living in this small cottage. NotCot is not what anyone would call a palace, irrespective of its location. To me, they seemed happy there and laughed about Harry hitting his head on the ceilings. It will be a FUNNY story to tell the kids and grandkids one day.

        As an American, I find all of this utter rubbish. NO ONE should own a castle unless you’ve earned the money yourself. Which is exactly what H&M did when they moved to CA and their “75 bathroom” mansion. LOL.

        The Queen/King “earned” their money on the backs of others and stole their wealth over the centuries. I’m firmly in the #abolishthemonarchy camp for the BRF.

    • sparrow says:

      Agreeing with NG. It did ruffle me slightly. Look, I think I can be an H&M fan and not agree with everything they say. It was a nice cottage. It was probably far from what people expected or perhaps from what other members were given, but it wasn’t a hovel. If that is considered lowly it says a lot about the institution and how out of touch it is. What struck me is I wonder if other royals had at some point had to live there, or was it just H&M?

      In the UK low ceilings can denote age. They are annoying, but for some a welcome sign that your home isn’t modern. There are those who like and pay highly for that stuff – inc things like low beams and inglenook fireplaces in even older properties.

      It did grate, esp given the vast difference in perceptions of small properties from rich to lpoorer.

      • C says:

        This is getting silly. They never even said it was a hovel. They were joking and laughing about Harry hitting his head.
        If anyone is getting bent out of shape about what Harry got vs the others, it’s the commenters here (me included, which I’ve explained). But H&M were clearly just saying this lightheartedly. Agreeing with someone who says “rich people problems” about it misses the point and the joke. And Meghan didn’t grow up in palaces like him.

      • Anyaaa says:

        William and Kate also lived there for a bit and by the time Megan was pregnant they had a nice bigger space.

      • C says:

        As discussed elsewhere, William and Kate had several residences at their disposal when they dropped in and out of Nottingham Cottage. They also had a total of almost $10 million in unnecessary renovations for all of their properties. Not comparable.

      • Christine says:

        It should slightly rub you the wrong way that U.K. taxpayers are paying for all of this, while Harry and Meghan support themselves entirely, and are fabulous at doing it.

        You’re “ruffled slightly”?

      • L4Frimaire says:

        That place was a hovel. No way around it. I’m obsessed with tiny houses but they are generally well designed and stylish. This space was outdated, cramped and probably not well laid out. Small houses can and do work but for their roles, it just wasn’t right. They still seemed happy but it was not a long term place. They didn’t come across as complaining, just explained what their actual living situation is. This is why so many haters are obsessed with the Montecito mansion. Side note, I don’t understand why so many royals are so directly dependent on the crown. You’d think a prince would have a trust where he could spend money on his own housing, or invest it independently. On the other hand, the British Royals present themselves as frugal and shabby chic while some have criticized their profligate ways behind the scenes.

      • Gruey says:

        I’m late to this but lol I agree it was a freaking DUMP. Get real with love growing in small houses. I’ve lived in plenty of nasty old dumps on the east coast. Gimme my parents ‘60s ranch home any day.

        And the location being nice??? Please they’re too famous to go anywhere. They’re caged in that place. And y’all know it smelled musty as hell.

        Ps will and Kate’s Tory buddies caused that cost of living crisis.

  3. girl_ninja says:

    That place was so tiny! But it was available and Harry didn’t have to pay rent so…I still maintain that the QII was shady as hell for gifting them Frogmore. I know that Harry and Meghan were thrilled to have it and really renovated the space with love but…

  4. Jais says:

    This was hilarious. The idea that Meghan married the prince and moved into a palace was debunked. She married a prince and moved into a hobbit house. So how long did Harry live in that cottage? That man’s been hitting his head in the ceiling for how many years? Montecito must be a dream.

  5. Mimi says:

    Yeah, my solidly middle class house looks nicer. I think they were showing that she didn’t get upgraded into untold riches, since people were calling her all types of gold digger. she lived a nice life before, which she provided for herself.

    • Snuffles says:

      Yeah, my tiny townhouse is nicer and in better condition than Knott Cott.

    • Lindsay says:

      Seriously. We just got new patio furniture. Our old beat-up set would have been a major upgrade on Harry’s sad metal chair. And that “landscaping” – were they going for a pre-Mary ‘The Secret Garden’ look? All of KP’s gardeners and maintenance staff should be fired.

    • Side Eye says:

      Exactly. I’m so glad they have a bunch of bathrooms now lol. They are so rich now and Charles and Egg don’t control those purse strings. That must really burn them – they were so certain Harry and Meghan would return hat in hand begging them for food/lodging and they could be even more abusive than ever. H&M are free! One of my favorite parts of the documentary was when they went rogue and snuck on the beach! Archie chasing the birds – I am so so happy for them I almost feel like it’s me.

      I lived in an old small house for a while – every other week it was the hot water tank needs replacing, the roof, the AC unit, this broke, this needs repairing. No matter how much we treated there were foundational issues which meant bugs were always coming in through the cracks at the floor level. Ugh. What a money pit. I loathed that house with every fiber of my being. I was so happy to get the off outta there. When my Uber arrived and the movers were inside I threw up my middle finger at the house on my way to the airport. And guess what that house was still a bit better than that hobbit cottage they were living in – on palace grounds.

      Now I have brand new construction whaaaat! It’s small but a brand new condo. It’s my dream place. High ceilings. Exposed brick. Hard wood flooring. A gorgeous eat in kitchen. I replaced all the chandeliers with fancy ones. I love coming home.

      I am so glad Harry and Meghan found a safe, permanent living situation that is perfect for them. I hate the concept of a billionaire and don’t even think that should exist. But these are two people I trust would help the world with that money if they ever became billionaires rather than go colonize Mars or whatever the eff these other narcissistic jackasses are doing to waste money.

    • Deev says:

      When I saw the photos I was like, “Wow, my apartment is way nicer and more updated than their cottage!” I would have loved to see Oprah’s face.

    • Emily_C says:

      My apartment doesn’t exactly look nicer, but at least the ceilings aren’t like that. I’m 5’8 and I’d be bumping my head all the time too. Meghan only didn’t because she’s pocket-sized.

      The middle class ranch house I grew up in looked nicer though, and with a much bigger garden and yard. And it was not at all big — 3 small bedrooms, 2 small baths.

  6. Amy Bee says:

    The press and royalists couldn’t really talk about anything else because it gets William exposed so they’ve latched onto this. Harry and Meghan weren’t complaining but showing that they weren’t living the lavish lifestyle that the press said they did. I remember reporters saying that even though it was a cottage it was lavish. Turns out they were lying about that too. Furthermore it refutes the notion that Meghan was some gold digger. Her place in Toronto was much nicer than Harry’s. The same goes for Frogmore Cottage. They made it into a nice home not some lavish mansion as the press said.

    • L4Frimaire says:

      He must have loved visiting her place in Toronto when they were dating. I assumed they live on palace grounds for security because if I were a prince with a trust fund, I’d buy a nice city apartment or townhouse.

  7. E says:

    The ugly carpet in the changing room – probably the second bedroom – killed me. The dirty bricks… The single glazing windows… Those radiators…

    Exactly like dozens of thousands of small, old houses in the UK everyone who lives there has lived in or visited friends in.

    I admit I was shocked to see I’ve lived in the same conditions as those 2 haha

    • Ann says:

      Bonafide royalty using a coat rack in lieu of a closet (I have one in my cozy 1938 house basement) and plastic tubs for storage (I have them in my attic) in their main living space. I guess royalty isn’t all that it’s cracked up to be. But I can see that Harry makes it worth it 😉

      • Christine says:

        LOL! If nothing else, he can put the rolling rack back together, after one of them bumps into it and the entire thing collapses, as they do. His time in the army probably made him handy.

        There is a giant, plastic Tupperware-like container full of shoes! This is the only time in my life I have thought, “royals, they are just like us!”

  8. Nanny to the Rescue says:

    This is the one issue in the documentary where I rolled my eyes. It’s not H&M’s fault and I understand why they expected a bigger property, given what all the royal family owns, but saying Nottingham Cottage is too small for an average family is just not true. Most of us can’t get a property this size (especially on a prime location), and now the housing crisis also settling in. NC is 1,324 square feet plus a large garden, that’s quite a place. This was such a first world problem I can’t believe they went there.

    • K says:

      Agree. This is where I draw the line. It comes off as incredibly tone deaf given the current cost of living crisis. Most people are struggling to pay bills and feed their families and they are complaining that the free house they lived in on Palace grounds with no neighbors and complete privacy was too small. Give me a break.

      • Jais says:

        Ok, now direct that energy to the many palaces and houses owned by the Cambridges.

      • QuiteContrary says:

        Exactly … the double standard applied to Meghan is so blatant, racist and galling.

      • C says:

        It’s impressive how both of you willfully ignore context. I’m not surprised by Nanny since she’s always caping for William. Don’t know who K is. Kate? LOL.

      • K please lol says:

        To K: please save that energy for the rest of the royals please 😒 did you hear them complain about at all, while you’re all over this board bloviating🙄

      • Tan says:

        Ohhhhhh now pls finish the rest of ur thought …….. therefore all the abuse that Meghan received was ABSOLUTELY warranted because a hobbit cottage wasn’t good enough for her

      • Steph says:

        This is a dumb argument. Harry has been rich his whole life. Meghan has been rich for several years. They weren’t living richly. That’s the point. It has nothing to do with you or anyone else’s struggles.

      • Debbie says:

        From @Jais to @Steph: You guys beat me to it, some people insist on centering themselves in other people’s lives.

    • Becks1 says:

      They weren’t complaining though. They were pointing out that the impression people had of how they lived was just not true. Also, when you compare how they lived to W&K who keep collecting houses like prizes….

      • Elizabeth says:

        Also, when Eugenie and Jack Brooksbank got married, they were given Ivy Cottage, a much bigger property on the Kensington Palace grounds. This was before Meghan and Harry moved to Windsor.

      • Steph says:

        @Elizabeth I wonder if they stayed at NotCot bc they knew they were moving already. The way that presented the timeline in the series was that tension started after the Australian tour but I’m wondering if it was already brewing and so he planned on moving.

    • Mimi says:

      People don’t think the royals live in those conditions, sorry. They weren’t complaining, they were showing that she didn’t get “upgraded” into some lavish lifestyle, like so many of us thought.

      • Colby says:

        While I agree they were not outright complaining…it’s just a touchy subject right now considering the cost of living crisis – clearly it rubbed a lot of people the wrong way.

      • Jais says:

        Funny what rubs people the wrong way. I mean is it too touchy to talk about the Cambridges? After all the money spent on the KP reno, for it to be a forever home, and then to say actually it doesn’t work for us, we need a whole new house…that would rub me the wrong way. Considering it actually happened during the cost of living crisis. Laughing bc your head constantly hits the ceiling and your house is built on a slant just doesn’t make me feel touchy or rub me the wrong way. People are different I guess.

      • MsIam says:

        Why would where the Sussexes used to live rub people the wrong way when they are apparently “happy” to support the current bunch DURING A COST OF LIVING CRISIS!!! Harry and Meghan haven’t lived in the UK on the taxpayers dime in nearly three years. If people want to complain, shouldn’t they complain about supporting the current bunch of grifters?

      • Colby says:

        Don’t shoot the messenger y’all!

      • C says:

        You mean it rubbed YOU the wrong way, lol.

      • JaneBee says:

        @C @Tan @Jais Thank you for your work today in this thread, repeatedly pushing back and pointing out the double standards being applied here to the White royals’ housing (and housing costs) vs Harry and his bi-racial wife 🙌

      • Christine says:

        Seriously, JaneBee, thank you to all who have provided sanity.

        If any of you can look in the mirror and say that you are fans of any of the royals, from any country, for anything other than the opulence of their lives, and how it differs from yours, I have a bridge to sell you, on dry land.

    • Moxylady says:

      1- it is used to set right the narrative that Meghan was a gold digger moving into gilded opulence. That’s important.
      2- it draws a stark comparison to what William was given vs Harry. Spare extends to everything. And this was when he was the workhorse of the entire family traveling the globe.
      3- they are doing the gardening and maintenance themselves. They don’t have servants or people to do it.
      4- lots of people look back on their first place as a couple with fondness but also the impossible quirks of a first place together, esp one that started as a bachelor pad – omg do you remember the door knob was so mangled that I got locked in the bathroom? Do you remember the first time I came over and the dogs have chewed the blinds so you had just used towels over the windows? It’s sweet and funny and wild to remember. It’s normal. They aren’t complaining. They are just talking about their first home together.
      And again. They would get dressed in like the woodcutters cottage and then go to galas and events and people thought they had servants to put on their toothpaste and Meghan wanted Marie Antoinette’s sink imported for her or some crap.
      It goes towards the messaging. Be grateful for what you have because you don’t deserve it. Oh and William here is another castle dear. Please try not to kick this one over during a tantrum.

      • Eurydice says:

        It’s such a hilarious facade. Imagine this jagnormous wedding with gowns and tiaras and horse-drawn carriages, major cathedrals and 1,000 year old pomp, with royals and celebrities and the whole world watching.

        And, at the end of the gloriously lavish day, you come home to the tiny, leaning house, with the dorm fridge and linoleum. It’s cute and cozy, but talk about cognitive dissonance.

      • Nanny to the Rescue says:

        I’m not sure it’s dispelling the – I agree that untrue – narrative that Meghan was just a “gold digger” if she’s commenting a free not even small house isn’t large enough for them. It makes it sound like she was expecting more and didn’t get it. That’s really not helpful in any way.

      • KT says:

        It’s not a ‘free’ house – they were Working Royals. It was part of the compensation package.

      • Saucy&Sassy says:

        Nanny to the Rescue, I suspect you fall into the category of people who will NEVER be able to say something nice about Meghan. This is such an incredible take on their conversation.

        I suggest you do as I advised above, write to the royal family about opening up a palace or two to house people who are no longer able to pay for food and heat. I would also suggest that Fail and Wails have homes they are not using that could also be opened up for the same reason.

        I find it rather astonishing that so many people think that Harry and Meghan can help with the cost of living crisis in the UK. You do know they are not part of the UK government, right? The government is who needs to be addressing all of the issues within the country. Oh, that’s right, your Tory government has done everything they can to run the country’s citizens into poverty. I guess if I were you, I would be looking for someone to blame, too. You have aimed your attention to the wrong people. Think about it.

      • Nick G says:

        Right on Saucy!

    • Concern Fae says:

      Come on. They adapted and got on fine. What they are showing is how they were treated in comparison with the rest of the RF. And especially that the press was going on about how fancy their lifestyle was. But there was never a correction from KP saying, no don’t worry, Harry and Meghan are in the tiny house with low ceilings they deserve!

      Yes, it was a free house. But when you are getting this, while your brother is literally yards away in a fvcking palace with 14 ft ceilings and the priciest furniture, wallpaper and curtains London has to offer. $7.2 million was spent getting Kensington Palace ready for William and Kate! You have to at least admit the comedy of the hobbit house in comparison to that. Go Google the pics of the Obamas’ visit to KP. This is about the difference in how the siblings were treated after marrying.

    • Joanne says:

      Imagine marrying a Prince and finding out you’ll be living in a cottage that would fit in his brother’s bedroom. It’s not the size of the cottage but the contrast on how the 2 brothers were treated. The difference is stark! On top of that, all the lies about Meghan being greedy and living in opulence.

    • Tan says:

      Yes yes yes Kate and will are the frugal ones, Charles and Camilla are truly the poor ones. The queen lived in squalor and u are the most pious person on this blog!

    • Erin says:

      I also highly doubt this was the ONE problem you had with the doc lol.

      • Erin says:

        I also wanted to say that I find this whole thread hilarious because the Kate stans and bots have done exactly what they set out to do and gotten everyone lathered up about a home that H&M lived in almost three years ago, they don’t even live there anymore! They are out of the country paying their own bills, meanwhile Kate is online shopping for new coat dresses, getting bespoke doily dresses made, and digging through the stolen Crown Jewels as we speak, but ok.

      • C says:

        I guess from the reactions here we can conclude the white royals can rob as much as they like as long as it’s silent and the “cost of living” only comes up about H&M who make their own money. Hm.

      • SIde Eye says:

        Spot on @Erin and @C!

    • TigerMcQueen says:

      Yeah, nah. They were pointing out the reality vs the media’s “Meghan is a golddigger” myth. And the difference in what the public perception is vs what the truth is. That some don’t get that and are latching onto the “cost of living crisis!!!!!” (when H&M don’t even live in the UK) totally misses the point. I wish half that energy would be spent on the Wails’s FOUR houses.

    • TheOriginalMia says:

      They didn’t expect anything. They said others assumed she was marrying him to live in a palace and really they lived in tiny Nott Cottage on Kensington Palace grounds. They were specifically addressing claims she was a gold digger. And if cost of living is so bad, speak out, vote out, and change your government.

    • Sms says:

      I agree Nanny. I’m sure it’s a nicer place than many homes in London. Meghan and Harry only lived there one year, they also had a rented house in Chipping Norton. Kate and William had it for 2+ years while they rented in Wales, after Meghan and Harry it got passed on to Eugenie and her husband. Seems like it’s a designated grandchild stopping point before they move on to something bigger.

    • AnneL says:

      Harry is literally the son of the King of England. One of only two children. Sure, he was just the grandson of the Queen then, but, come on. His family owns tens of millions in property. Palaces with dozens of bedrooms, thousands of acres of land.

      He was working for the family business just as the rest of them were. Why should he be relegated to a tiny property where had to duck to get through the doorway, when his brother had FOUR houses? Because his brother, who never actually worked as hard as Harry, was born first? Because he had married and had kids? It’s not like his kids needed…..FOUR houses.

      It’s not about whether they could live in that house. They could, of course. But why should they have to given how much money and property his family has?

      I just thought it was them showing the early days of their relationship and marriage. To show they could relate to living in a tiny place because they had done it?

  9. Moxylady says:

    Omg! Gus of Sussex with his broken legs! 😭😭😭
    And something funny – I don’t think Harry is wearing shoes is like 90% of those photos

  10. salmonpuff says:

    My beagle sits in my lap like that too! So sweet!

    That house looks like a starter apartment for a 20-something couple in grad school, not the home of two professional adults. That said, my family of 5 (plus 2 dogs) make do in a 1500 square foot house with 1 bathroom just fine.

  11. Brassy Rebel says:

    You can tell from the photos, it ain’t no palace. Meghan is petite but barely clears the doorway. They’re not complaining. They’re joking! It’s something to tell the kids when they get older. We were just typical struggling newlyweds!

  12. C-Shell says:

    Every time I see a pic of Guy with his legs in casts I cry! Whoever hurt that sweet boy will burn in hell. I never understood how two grown people could manage in that wee place. This is one instance when the British use of “cottage” might be an overstatement instead of a ridiculous understatement.

  13. SH says:

    I think is also example how this documentary is not about winning over the English public. This documentary is specifically geared toward a US audience through an American filmmaker as well as the larger global audience and addressing misconceptions that audience may have.

    • Xantha says:

      Yep. There’s definitely a perception about royals my fellow Americans have and how they live and living in a house like Nott Cottage is not it. People would say that this is complaining or a first world problem when all H&M are doing is showing us their reality at that time. They weren’t lounging on thrones in tiaras that’s for sure.

    • Eyeroll says:

      Agreed. I think they’ve realized the UK is a lost cause with the media and royal family in bed together. Plus the narrative of them has stuck over there and isn’t going to change with one interview or documentary. I think they thought the Oprah interview would put a pause on the growing inaccuracies about why they left but it didn’t do that. Now that they want to continue their work outside the royal sphere, they realized that UK narrative was spreading to the US and beyond and they needed something to counter that.

      So yeah, the UK isn’t really going to change much and I think they’ve accepted that. But they want those the racist media are trying to turn against them to hear from them early. If they stayed silent throughout all of this, while living in LA and trying to build their brand and do philanthropic and social justice work, everything will be tainted by that stain because it will spread. Heck, it’s spread more than I and I suspect they expected. The US is so large but our media, while not as nasty as BM, are starting to parrot the same things. People are pretty gullible and are believing it all.

      Even I found things I thought were true and they debunked in the doc, and I’ve been reading this site about them for the past 3+ years. So yeah, anytime someone wants to say something nasty about them, you can find H&M’s own words or pause and wonder if it’s actually true or not rather than take at face value. I think aspects of this was for their supporters. But I think a large part of it is to take some control of the narrative building in the US especially. I really liked how they included other people, friends, historians. Because it’s not just their opinions or beliefs, but what others saw and observed as well. I think it was really well done. They’re 2 very classy people because they could’ve unleashed worse and didn’t. Plus I don’t think I would’ve held it in for more than 6 months if I was Meghan. At the next walk about, I’d be yapping about how horrible it all is. That she held it in for so long without the protection others got is a wonder.

  14. Eggbert says:

    How do you give your son/grandson a place like that to live when you yourself live in actual palatial estates (plural!), QEII and Chuckie?! I really wish H & M would name names of who exactly was in charge of making their housing decisions etc. We all know of course, but selfishly I want H & M to name names and watch those royal asswipes sweat and squirm and tie themselves in pretzels trying to explain.

    • PrincessK says:

      You don’t really understand, it was not a slight.
      Nott Cott on the open market would cost more than a mansion in California.

      • Joanne says:

        Of course it was a slight. Compare it to the living conditions of any other member of the family. No one is arguing the value of the cottage on the open market. It’s the difference to how Prince Harry was treated compared to his brother and even his uncle, the sex predator has a palatial accommodation. You cannot compare to the value of someone who isn’t a member of the royal family. You are the person deliberately not understanding the stark contrast.

      • swaz says:

        You love it so much, maybe you should buy it🤣

      • equality says:

        It is a slight when you house even those below H&M in line in far better housing. And when you allow the media to act as if they are costing the monarchy so much more than others and pitch a fit when they do get a larger place. Anybody who would pay more for that than a place in California is not very bright.

      • PrincessK says:

        It was always going to be temporary accommodation before one of the big apartments in KP was ready for them to move into. It was not a slight, let us not get things out of proportion deliberately like the enemies of the Sussexes do, we are better than that.

      • C says:

        Your comments are simply incorrect.

      • Emily_C says:

        Compared to what the rest of the family has, it is a teeny tiny hovel. How big is Andrew’s home?

        Also, no, it would not cost more than a mansion in California. London is not the center of the world, the sun has set on its empire.

  15. Eurydice says:

    I think this was more of “you don’t know what’s behind the scenes.” All the talk has been, “you’re a princess and you wear tiaras and live in a palace, what are you complaining about?” And I think that’s what Oprah’s reaction was about, too.

    • TigerMcQueen says:

      Exactly! It’s clear why they talked about the cottage the way they did.

      But if the “cost of living crisis!!!!! how dare you complain!!!!!!!” (when they weren’t complaining) is all the talking points they’ve got…H&M def hit a nerve with part 2 of the the documentary.

  16. Becks1 says:

    Yeah they definitely weren’t complaining about it, it was more just a “yes we live at Kensington Palace but its a small cottage, we’re not walking around draped in diamonds with servants tending to our every whim.”

    One part that was sad to me was Harry talking about how he had imagined Archie growing up at Frogmore. It’s sad when you have a clear vision of how you think things are going to play out and then that changes drastically, even if you know that change is so much better. I also think it tells us how happy they were in Windsor and how much they loved living there.

  17. Natalie says:

    Anything to not comment on the chimpanzee comparisons. I’m so tired of the media.

    • L4Frimaire says:

      This right here. They talk about that pokey rundown cottage because what are they gonna say about Meghan’s mother so upset she couldn’t stop what she was going through when feeling suicidal , or asking palace legal teams to deal with the Mail publishing her letter and being ignored or lied to. What are they gonna say when Harry explicitly blames the Mail and the f*cksh*t they were doing during the trial for Meghan’s miscarriage. Also the Queen was one of the largest real estate holders in London. They couldn’t find them a decent modern apartment? For someone supposedly so crucial to the prestige of the monarchy, who traveled constantly on their behalf, this subpar housing showed they undervalued his contribution.

  18. Justine says:

    I think it’s weird to act like it was indecent of QE2 to have them live there when William and Kate lived there for 2 years after they were married. Including after their first baby was born.

    • Nivz says:

      Inaccurate comparison, Justine. They used it part time as their London residence. They had access to an estate in wales and of course, you know watsername was taking the baby to mummy’s house all the time.

    • swaz says:

      I don’t care who lived there before, THAT’S AN OLD SHACK, KITCHEN HORRIBLE🙄

      • Emily_C says:

        The kitchen got to me too! And we only saw a tiny glimpse of the bathroom, but it looked like a closet. Just, no, it looks like a totally uncomfortable place to live. I have claustrophobia and I was just about screaming.

    • BeanieBean says:

      They were up in Wales a good portion of their first married years. And let’s not forget, Kate went home to mama in Berkshire a lot, too. They may have overnighted at NC a few times, but that’s about it.

    • TigerMcQueen says:

      Not the point. Unless I somehow missed the tabloid stories attacking Khate for being a gold digger who wanted luxury, jewels, etc. when she was happily living her best married life in a tiny old cottage.

    • MsIam says:

      Exactly. There were stories about Kate being seen shopping while they were in Wales and how she referred to herself as Mrs. Cambridge. And it makes sense that they spent the bulk of their time there since that is where William’s “job” was located. So no, the Wales didn’t live in that tiny cottage with a baby for two years, that’s rewriting history.

  19. Likeyoucare says:

    Not sure why people are offended about meghan and Harry showing how small their house is.
    I am a government worker and the size of the houses provided for us if we want too are ranking by our position. So the higher the position will get a bigger house.

    Harry work for the monarchy and his work burden are a lot comparing to other BRF and he was 6 in line and 2/3 of them is not even working (add Willie in to that number) . Therefore, that house is a joke.

    So whoever complaining about Harry and meghan in this post can respectfully shove up your ass. Thank you.

    • SIde Eye says:

      Omg @Likeyoucare LOL I want to send you Christmas cookies for that comment! And you are so right – he did a lot for the BRF!

    • JaneBee says:

      @likeyoucare 👏👏 This is such an excellent point re: workload/position and housing entitlement when its effectively part of remuneration package.

  20. Temple says:

    I can’t believe that the son of Princess Diana was living in that raggedy shack. All those titles and tiaras means nothing when people living in trailer parks have nicer homes.

  21. Plums says:

    I haven’t watched the second half yet, but I just watched the first half last night, and my main takeaway wrt media and royal commentator reactions is that the things they’ve singled out to pick on are such unimportant nothingburger details within the context of the whole documentary, and they’re imbueing a tone and intent in a lot of this stuff that tbh just really feels like creating a narrative that isn’t really there. Like the whole thing with the curtsey is so obviously just a self-deprecating anecdote illustrating how the idea of royal protocol was so new and strange for Meghan, which, of course it would be when these two are discussing the beginning of their relationship, and it was just such a minor moment in the episode, but all these commentators just latched onto it and gave it all this cynical or nefarious meaning. Same thing with the comment about Will and Kate coming to dinner and Meghan didn’t realize it was weird for her to be warm and casual. It’s literally one line and not even a story she tells, which I didn’t realize when I commented last week before I watched, yet it became this huge thing.

    I haven’t watched this part yet, but the stuff about Nottingham Cottage feels like another one of those details. Like the media is making it out to be like they’re complaining about living in a cute lil house on palace grounds gratis during a cost of living crisis and how out of touch, etc., when, I have a very strong feeling when I watch that it’ll be the same thing with the curtsey. Media creating a narrative out of an innocuous minor detail to distract from the substance of the actual narrative of the documentary. Which is about how much the British tabloid media are evil little fucksticks running a royal protection racket.

    • Tan says:

      Nott Cott may be the curtsy of part one

    • BeanieBean says:

      Well-stated, Plums.

    • Lorelei says:

      @Plums you are exactly right and ITS with everything you said (and look forward to your comments after you’ve finished it!).
      @Tan is correct that NotCot is the curtsy of the last three episodes. It is so obnoxious to see all of these willfully ignorant, bad faith arguments with people deliberately twisting what H&M were trying to say.

      And for all of the people saying it was temporary, okay — can we talk about how when the Queen finally “gifted” them a home, it was literally UNLIVABLE? The RF would have had to pay to have it renovated at some point anyway, but people ignore that fact because it doesn’t fit with their narrative.

      (The fact that it had been used as servants’ quarters shouldn’t be a big deal, but considering all that we know now about how the BRF viewed Meghan, it’s pretty symbolic, IMO.)

  22. SunRae says:

    I’m sorry but the pictures of Meghan’s Toronto pad juxtaposed with this shack are laughable. LOOOOOOOL. And the commenters trying to make it a thing are being disingenuous. I’ve been poor and I’m doing slightly better than that now and I’m not offended because there is a certain image of what she was getting out of this, and this dismantles that illusion.

    *Insert Nene ‘the ghetto’ gif*

    The gall to call her a gold-digger… good luck getting black women to cosign your outrage. You called this woman, a millionaire, all kinds of names, made it seem as if she’d been rescued from the trenches of Compton and I’m glad she’s making it PERFECTLY clear where you got her fucked up.

    • RL McGruder says:

      You’re absolutely right.

    • PrincessK says:

      The American interpretation has got it all wrong. It was temporary accommodation and an opportunity for a young couple to live simply without all the servants arund required for a larger property.
      I believe W&K lived there with a small baby.

      • equality says:

        W&K did NOT live there full time. They had other places. And, you are the one getting the point all wrong.

      • C says:

        I love when the “You Americans just don’t understand our ways” comments come out. Because they’re usually from people who don’t know this subject at all, LOL.

        Will and Kate, when starting out, not only had the four-bedroom house in Anglesey which was rented on the grounds of Bodorgan Estate (very chic with a private beach), and then they moved in KP 1A after the first $1.6 million renovations were done (and they kicked a charity out of the space too). The SECOND renovations the following year made the full amount reach a total of $6.6 million – the SAME TIME they were putting in $1.8 million worth of renovations to Anmer Hall which they moved into the year after the added KP renovations.
        Will and Kate didn’t live there with a small baby. Because do you know where they were? They outfitted an entire security team and other things so that she could move to her parents’ new huge house with ALL of the expenses and accoutrements that involved; papers even published that the Queen was not a fan of it but they did it for Kate.
        Try and excuse that.

      • Becks1 says:

        I’m with @PrincessK here. Nott cott is a pretty standard royal starter home. That’s where W&K brought George home. I think one of the York princesses lived there after H&M left. The issue is more the home that they were offered AFTER nott cott.

        W&K did not have Anmer at the time they lived in Nott Cott. That’s why Kate spent so much time that summer at her parents, bc it was so hot and they had a pool.

        But, they were still based in Wales but we all know that Kate did not live there full time.

      • Jais says:

        Well, the idea that the American interpretation has it all wrong is kind of the point. Whether it’s William or Kate or Harry and Meghan, the American interpretation is that they’re living in a fancy castle. We’d be like what the hell and where’s the golden piano? The issue, for me, is people acting like Harry and Meghan were complaining and ungrateful. They were showing how the interpretation is wrong. They looked hella happy in their pics at Nottingham Cottage. And it’s funny to think of Harry constantly hitting his head and seeing the pic of him standing while leaning his head to the side so as not to hit the roof. If anything, being happy to move out of that cottage had more to do with getting away from William and Kate than the height of the ceilings.
        And @becks1 is right. The idea of a slight has more to do with frogmore Cottage than the starter home.

      • MsIam says:

        I would hate to be jammed in there especially expecting a baby plus you have two dogs. And I don’t believe the York girls ever lived there. Eugenie and Jack lived in Ivy Cottage and Beatrice and Edo lived in her apartment at St James Palace.

      • TigerMcQueen says:

        It’s not an issue of American intepretation to see where H&M were living, how happy they looked, how much better Meghan’s accommodations were in Toronto, and the juxtaposing of all that with the false “gold digger” narrative in the British press.

        I think that was one of SunRae’s points. And I totally agree.

      • JaneBee says:

        @PrincessK How many times in this thread are you going to post this same point and ignore the numerous corrections that have been politely offered?

      • Emily_C says:

        Maybe Americans understand your ways just fine and think they’re appalling. Certainly when it comes to royalty. And in this, we agree with plenty of British citizens. I love when royalists swan around pretending we’re somehow disrespecting their “culture”, when the Brits I know were singing “Lizzy’s in a box” and cheering egg-throwing.

      • PrincessK says:

        @JaneBee
        I would like to direct you to @Jais comment for a clearer perspective of the matter.
        Meghan and Harry were not being discriminated against in terms of being allocated a London base. Nott Cott was temporary accommodation. A large apartment in KP was on the cards but that never happened as the Sussexes needed to place a distance between themselves and the Cambridges.

      • Lorelei says:

        @Emily_C, THANK YOU. All of the “Americans just don’t understand (insert whatever)” is so insulting and tiresome.

        We just went through it with The Crown (apparently ALL Americans are too stupid to understand it’s not a documentary 🙄), and now this.

        What you said is absolutely right. Many of us understand it all just fine, the issue is that we’re appalled.

    • ChillinginDC says:

      Thank you. I live in a 3 story townhouse. This place is small and ridiculous.

    • SIde Eye says:

      AMEN @SunRae!!! Thank you.

  23. aquarius64 says:

    If Nott Cot is tone deaf, Kate wearing the emerald choker that Diana wore during the Boston visit ( price tagged by the Fail at 15 MILLION) is Marie Antoinette. CNN had a 1 hour program on about the documentary last night and there was some decent debate from different perspectives. Andrew was brought up. Not all US media buys the UK dog food. And the BRF still has a perception problem when you look at Twitter.

    • dee(2) says:

      Yeah, it’s just disingenuous to say it doesn’t look good during the cost-of-living crisis, to talk about a house being small that you don’t live in anymore, that was clearly worse than your brother and sister-in-law, and aunts and uncles’ homes, from the home you pay for with money you earned. Also, none of these people are commenting on how it doesn’t look good that this is the fifth or sixth event for the royals since the Queen died with new outfits and plundered jewels, but H&M laughing about their tiny home when they got married 5 years ago is a big deal. Eyeroll inducing and shows how even among supporters’ people still buy into racist tropes.

    • Tan says:

      But Kate is white u see….

    • Lorelei says:

      @Aquarius64, do you happen to remember the name of the CNN show or what time it was on? I missed it but they usually rerun things a million times, so I want to try and record it if I can. Thanks (:

  24. Vanessa says:

    People love to find any little thing to criticize Meghan and Harry I don’t think the Sussex’s were complaining. They were showing the Reality of the situation so many Trolls and Royal Reporters we’re going on and on about how lavish Meghan live how they basically live on palace ground they should be ever so grateful. Meanwhile they were living in small two bedroom cottage with too height ceiling for Harry that was the Reality. The Royal Family didn’t see it fit for Harry the man who traveled everywhere for the benefit of the crown did more work than William and Kate Diana son the most popular beloved Royal was basically living in a shack even after his marriage. And then on top of that when they finally got a upgrade with Frogmore cottage the royal reporters and the troll went crazy critics them for wanting to upgrade the cottage they were accusing of kick people of their home Meghan was accused of telling workers not to look at her .

  25. Lucky Charm says:

    Now we know why Kate sent out that “wear burgundy to my Christmas Carol Concert!” memo lol. I love that gorgeous dress Meghan is wearing in the picture of her in the doorway.

    • Stephanie says:

      Yes, I love that dress Meghan is wearing! I wonder what the event was as I don’t remember seeing it before.

    • Jais says:

      Is it possible she wore that dress to Pippa’s wedding reception? Didn’t she go to the reception but wasn’t allowed to the wedding? If that’s the color Kate and Pippa used to troll Meghan, that’d be next level. I have no idea though if that’s the dress she wore to the reception.

  26. Mslove says:

    This is one of the many differences between H & W. Pegs takes himself too seriously & would never live in a shack like notcot. It wouldn’t look good & Peg is all about appearances because he has nothing of substance to his name. Harry on the other hand, is a humble man, the founder of the Invictus Games, a man who dedicated his life to public service. Harry & Meghan happily lived in their shack because they were together and in love.

    • TigerMcQueen says:

      Yeah, but Will did live in the same cottage. I’m not a fan of his by any means, but he did live there for a time.

      • Saucy&Sassy says:

        TigerMcQueen, I thought he had a job in Wales and that’s where Fails and Wails lived. Why didn’t they live there since he was working?

      • Mslove says:

        My bad, they did live at notcot after they got married. They also had the house in Wales too.

  27. L4Frimaire says:

    It was extremely cramped and pokey and outdated. Looks like they had those dorm room style mini fridge’s in there. I think they showed it because they were given so much grief over moving out to Frogmore and the renovation costs. You know Meghan should be forever grateful for whatever royal crumbs were thrown her way. At the time it was framed as the Sussexes being demanding and greedy for wanting to make the home livable. Also weren’t they renting a home out in Oxfordshire, which was way more spacious, until someone ( cough KP, cough) leaked the location and the Fail sent helicopters out to photograph into their bedroom. They really didn’t think they deserved to have a decent life and hoped this “ Hollywood actress” would take one look at that pokey hovel, turn around, and walk out. They’re current home is so much nicer, although they need to redecorate their screening room, lol.

    • Byzant says:

      Totally agree one the comparison of them with one cottage and k and w with multiple mansions. But just to say that’s not a dorm fridge in the UK _ totally standard size for adult kitchen and also a cottage in that post code is waY beyond super high earning actor/investment banker couples. I think there might be a us uk divide in that historic buildings with all their draw backs are considered a better option here.

      But also his brother literally had massive historic country estate at the same time _ and h and m didn’t sound like they were moaning just making fun jokes about their first house

  28. Em says:

    I think it was not worth it to mention this and highlight it as a means of getting sympathy. They are selectively showing small angles of the cottage. I just think for them to have Oprah comment on “how small it is” does not mean much. It makes them look petty and incredibly tone deaf. They should have really thought twice before including this bit.

  29. Emmi says:

    99% of people would move in immediately and yes, I know why they showed it (although they could’ve shown more, I didn’t get a real sense of the place other than the kitchen looks dodgy).

    My issue is that this is Netflix and it’s global. People in many many countries are dealing with some shit right now, insane inflation, soaring real estate prices, the list goes on. And the issue H&M are trying to tackle here isn’t clear, the coverage about her being an alleged gold digger didn’t make it around the world. So imagine you’re barely scraping by, you’re not in the UK, you didn’t witness the full extent of the coverage, and now they are sitting in their gorgeous California mansion making fun of their starter home which – by almost everyone’s standards – was a niiiice place. “People thought we were living in a palace but little did they know we had to be content with THIS!” This prime real estate you mean? That Oprah made fun of because it’s peasant-y?

    I think sometimes things are very obvious to those who have followed all of this closely. But many people haven’t and I understand why this part may have sounded weird. It was what, 2-3 minutes tops though? Edit that out and let Serena talk a bit more, she wasn’t given enough airtime.

    • TigerMcQueen says:

      To me, this is where the documentary got a few things wrong. NOT in showing the cottage in comparing to where they live now. But iin not showing the horrible narratives in the press at that time about how Meghan was a social climbing money grubber, when she looked perfectly happy in that little cottage with Harry. That’s the point they were trying to make, and I can see how people who aren’t aware of the UK tabloid coverage wouldn’t get it.

    • Christine says:

      “So imagine you’re barely scraping by, you’re not in the UK, you didn’t witness the full extent of the coverage, and now they are sitting in their gorgeous California mansion making fun of their starter home which – by almost everyone’s standards – was a niiiice place.”

      If I’m barely scraping by, not in the U.K. (why is that part of your point?), I don’t have Netflix, and I can also recognize when people are paying for themselves to live, that I don’t have to pay for, with my tax dollars. Poor people aren’t stupid.

    • yellowy says:

      There is nothing “niiiice” about slanting walls.

  30. Steph says:

    Nottingham Cottage had me cracking up. Not bc of the size but bc you could tell it was a bachelor pad. How long did Harry live there? Why didn’t he buy stuff for it? A rolling rack instead of a wardrobe? I was seriously laughing.

  31. Beech says:

    Gawd when I used to follow a royals’ blog that over time turned into We Hate Meghan blog. The bile over the renivation costs of Frogmore Cottage. They put in a copper bathtub!!! Vegan paint for the nursery, don’t ask!!! But they were gleeful Frogmore was once servants’ quarters and in the air path of airplanes. Black nail polish, how dare she pose with Rosamund Pike!!! Bitter so bitter.

  32. windyriver says:

    Trivial point if no one’s mentioned it – Bogart was never there. There was a surprisingly acrimonious discussion here about the fact that Meghan left him behind with friends in Toronto. The black dog is Pula (I think that’s the name?) who they got later, together.

    I was surprised at how much face time Guy got in the documentary. Sweet to see him so much a part of their lives.

    • Steph says:

      Want Bogart left behind bc he wasn’t strong enough to make the trip? He wasn’t just abandoned, she did what was best for him.

      • Kelsey says:

        Yes, he was “older” and was advised that he couldn’t make the trip. I always wonder if she still sees him from time to time.

      • windyriver says:

        I don’t recall her ever publicly discussing why Bogart didn’t come over. Age and health were reasons suggested by commenters when it was discussed here. But there was a group of “dog lovers” who were incensed that Meghan left him behind, as if she wasn’t the one who would know what was best for him. Someone had to be taking care of the dogs when Meghan was in London every couple of weeks; I wondered if he might have bonded with another family and Meghan thought he’d be happier with them. Plus, like Guy, Bogart was a rescue. My sister has had a succession of rescues, and they often have some long-lasting issues based on their past history. Maybe Meghan thought he wouldn’t transition well for one reason or another. Of course, he wasn’t just abandoned.

      • Lorelei says:

        @WindyRiver, ITA. One thing we know for sure is that Meghan adores her dogs, and she wouldn’t just leave one behind for no reason. Whatever the situation was, I’m sure it was incredibly painful for her to have to make that decision, and she wouldn’t have taken it lightly. (Plus, it also must have affected Guy to suddenly be separated from him, and she would have taken that into consideration.) I think maybe one needs to be a “dog person” and to understand what it’s like to have and love a dog and consider it a member of your family to really get it. But they’re determined to trash every single thing she does, so it’s pointless to even try to respond to morons making claims about something they know nothing about.

      • windyriver says:

        @Lorelei – actually, the people I’m referring to weren’t the usual type of suspects, trashing anything Meghan did. These were people who did appear to love their dogs and seriously consider them a member of their family – and THAT’s the basis for their anger at Meghan. They were irrational to a different extreme; under no circumstances would they ever ever ever leave their animal behind, etc. I put “dog lover” in quotes, because if you’re not prepared to do what’s best for your dog, even if that means having to part from it because your circumstances change, then that love is meaningless.

  33. Steph says:

    I have those leave up boots that Meghan is wearing.

  34. Susan says:

    Maybe I am missing the point completely (as per previous posters) but I thought this whole part was added to give levity to an otherwise heavy subject matter in the second half. I think H and M specifically added this to be kind of funny and irreverent (like her curtsy joke that clearly didn’t land right for many). I don’t think it’s meant to be a referendum on the housing crisis, castle size of relatives, etc. I think it was like a “see, royalty…they’re just like us!” Harry WAS a bachelor, probably didn’t need or desire a McMansion in the ‘burbs yet, and with military deployments and all, probably wasn’t even home that much until Meghan came along. Plus if you are going to have a one night stand…don’t give ‘em access to the good stuff to photograph or steal! Haha.

  35. Kate says:

    People pointing out that their cottage is in a “prime location” as if they were able to actually exit Palace grounds and go do normal people things and enjoy London. Also they weren’t complaining – you can tell by the fact they were laughing.

  36. BeanieBean says:

    I’m going off topic a bit. Now that I have mobility problems I looked at those photos differently from everyone else. That place is full of tripping hazards inside & out! Power cords on the floor near walking pathways, uneven transitions between rooms, uneven paving in the garden, huge step up/down entryways. No wonder QEII didn’t want to go anywhere with her mobility problems that last year. England is not made for those of us with differing abilities!

    • Byzant says:

      Absolutely there is a major issue with many of our old buidings and preserving using them but when they can’t be adapted for accessibility .but look at delphi the ancient Greeks were wheelchair friendly so we should try harder

  37. Kelsey says:

    Anyone who says Meghan is a gold digger just needs to look at this mess. Ain’t no way she was going to go from her beautiful Toronto home to this Snow White & The Seven Dwarfs shack if she didn’t love that man. Just ridiculous.

    I can’t help but notice either these palace residences (pre-HarMegixt) seem to be about the only thing Harry & Meghan WEREN’T paying out of pocket for. I really don’t believe that Meghan was paying for her royal wardrobe out of the taxpayers money like they kept screaming about at all. I’m sure I could be wrong, but I really don’t. Which is good for them, but it shows even more why the “establishment” didn’t want H&M to be independent- because if they could do a kickass job without taxpayers funds, what justification would the King + co. have to continue to receive them? They were about to blow up the family’s whole hustle and they couldn’t have that!

  38. Busy Bee says:

    My two cents: It is a small but serviceable house but probably didn’t fit with Oprah’s image of a royal house would be relative to the Royal Family’s wealth. It was probably funny to see Harry hitting his head on the ceilings. I don’t any shade was intended.

  39. Feebee says:

    After seeing it, I think we all thought WTF? The low ceilings/doorways didn’t surprise me, there’re probably quite a few dwellings in England etc that are ancient and built when the average height of a man was probably 5’6” or something. They’re probably little museums now rather than actual living quarters though.

    • Byzant says:

      Actually you would be surprised how many are still in use. My house is 400 yes old and I just fit at 5.3 and don’t get me started on the cost of thatched roofs

  40. Annalise says:

    Bluedot- You know that Meghan grew up middle class, right??? You say that you think it looks like 2 people who don’t understand how most people live?? Despite the fact that Meghan GREW UP living how most people live????

    • Emily_C says:

      And Harry was in the military in a war zone for 10 years. I think he knows a thing or two about living rough — more than most people here do.

  41. C says:

    On a less serious note I legit thought that pic of Harry in his wedding suit in that tiny room with plastic bins was photoshopped, lol. It’s insane!

  42. Isa says:

    I can’t tell you how many comments I’ve seen about how Meghan shouldn’t complain bc she lives in a palace and is royalty and rich. It was not a grand palace. And they didn’t complain, just laughed about the expectations vs reality. Although, I bet Harry muttered quite a few curse words every time he hit his head.

  43. Suzy says:

    I just finished binge watching the last episodes and honestly, I was surprised how much I loved it and how much of a bigger fan I am now of Harry and Meghan. They are adorable, and as much as this is a charmingly told love story, I thought it was even more compelling for me as story of this couple’s escape from abuse. It really resonated for me, and I was brought to light tears a couple of times. Just a well-told and well-done series. Loved it!

  44. Div says:

    I get what they were trying to do, but this comes of as very…not self aware. What they should have said was ‘the press was saying we were spending x amount of money and living in a giant mansion, when instead we lived in a 2 bedroom, x sq foot cottage’.

    IDK, the whole thing is just odd. It feels like they either don’t have PR folks, or they don’t listen to PR folks. The show is widely watched, but the US media has quasi turned on them and it’s over dumb sh*t that was so easily avoidable like this moment. I mean even Gayle was a bit snarky about it. And I know everyone on here is viewing it through rose colored lenses, but objectively that’s the situation at least in the US. And it’s sad, because I feel like they had a lot of goodwill with Archtypes, the Oprah interview, and people looking forward to Harry’s interview.

    • Saucy&Sassy says:

      Div, they continue to have goodwill in the US. Did Gail also mention anything about the picture where they labeled a monkey as Archie? Did she talk about any of the media racial crap? If the BM wants everyone to forget that, they won’t accomplish it. Twitter will take care of that.

      I don’t know why people continue to listen to the BM. Let’s be frank. Rupert Murdoch will use his media in the US to push whatever his tabloid is pushing in the UK.

      I have a better question: Why is the bm talking about the size of cottages instead of what your government have done to the people who are trying to eat and heat their homes? Why aren’t they pushing the government to do something about that? I think those are the questions that I would be asking if I lived in the UK. I guess people would rather be distracted by the absurd.

      • Bex says:

        And I would not place much belief in the projection onto what Gayle said. These people have been constantly hoping that people they view as H&M’s allies would turn on them.

        So assigning snark to a Black woman IN A PROFESSIONAL setting, especially one who had a British journalist use COLORED to her face, is just more BS and faux concern.

    • Emily_C says:

      The concern trolling is through the roof.

    • Bex says:

      But you already know what the press continues to say, and you still wrote this bad take.

      I think, as with any situation when a POC, esp one of African descent doesn’t perform gratefulness to white satisfaction, you people get on your soap boxes with BS.

      And it’s tiring.

  45. Interested Gawker says:

    The family and the men in grey are dumb as a box of rocks and brought their own problems on themselves if they wanted to run Meghan out of Harry’s life before she got pregnant. Stick two newlyweds as loved up as they are in a teeny place like that?!

    Harry was in a Cinderella situation with W&K as the lazy stepsisters, the firm as the horrible abusive step mother and his late mother and ‘Madea’ as fairy godmothers. The Firm tried to crush Meghan into Snow White and The Little Mermaid with Suspiria layered over both. Thank god for Meghan’s love and the network of support from her friends, and goodwill from Tyler Perry who didn’t actually know them at the point he stepped in with his assistance. Harry’s broken away from his captors to live in the States like Princess Di was considering before she died, he has a loving family in California, a place that welcomed him with open arms. He went from BRF’s abuse to holding the Superbowl trophy and Princess Diana’s granddaughter has Tyler Perry as her godparent. That is some Markle Sparkle!

  46. LisaN says:

    Sorry. But when I saw the pics of interior of Not Cottage, I was shocked. Like Oh Really?
    Yes they had a Kensington Palace address, but seriously, the first condo my husband and I rented was probably nicer. I was shocked at the condition of a house on Kensington property that was given to the second in line to succession. I mean really WTF!

  47. goofpuff says:

    The goal posts always moves when people lack empathy.

    I drive a old car that needs a lot of service. I mention how costly it is,
    “well you are lucky to even have a car”
    it’s not my car.
    “well you are lucky to have a person lend you their car”
    well now i can’t get to work.
    “well you are lucky to even have a job”

    It never ends. That’s what the arguments on here sound like to me. Unless you are jobless, ugly, homeless, have bad health , bad family relationships., then your life struggles don’t count. Even then, i am sure the goalposts will move again.

  48. CourtneyB says:

    They were not complaining AND it’s not a novel. Neither was Frogmore cottage. They talked about loving Frogmore and walking around the gardens. It’s been a royal house for consorts, exiled Romanovs and a number of other royals. It was a relatively brief time it housed servants. But those houses are nice. It needed to be set back to a single family home and brought up to code.

    And is everyone forgetting their Cotswolds home? That was gorgeous and they signed a lease in 2018. NC was probably fine as a London base when they had no kids. They had to leave the Cotswold home in 2019 because of the press. THAT’S when the queen gave them FC.

  49. Bex says:

    The British commenters who keep mentioning the cost of living crisis in 2022 in regards to a former home that hasn’t been lived in since 2019 are absolute clowns. You’re in a cost of living crisis because you, like most monarchists, chose to back a Tory government that doesn’t care about you SPECIFICALLY, and actively works to undermine all protections in place for vulnerable citizens.

    This is exactly what you voted for, so why are you upset?

  50. galene says:

    I can’t see this going over well with the general public. Its going to reek of elitism and privilege. How is a two bedroom cottage not enough for two adults? Oprah is famous for her extravagance, so her shock is compounding the issue. And how long were they in NC? Was frogmore also too small?

  51. g says:

    I remember Kate Middleton being given some huge budget to reno the homes she was given. Historical houses are not huge. That cottage could probably be really cute if they had budget to fix it up a bit. Sienna Miller had a video on architectural digest where she fixed up this 1500s cottage in the UK. It was unbelievably adorable but still not giant like you would see being built in Montecito today.