Back in February, we heard that the Duke and Duchess of Sussex planned to renew their lease on Frogmore Cottage. It was a reminder that unlike nearly every royal real estate lease, the terms of Frogmore Cottage are extremely short-term, and that the Sussexes likely have to “renew” their lease every year. The Wessexes have something like a 99-year lease on Bagshot, same with Prince Andrew and Royal Lodge. Anyway, there was confusion as to why Harry and Meghan wanted to maintain a legal residence in the UK, and I kind of assumed that it was because Princess Eugenie still wanted/needed Frogmore more than anything. But this is just confusing:
Harry and Meghan have made a surprise bid to return to the middle of Windsor life — by renewing their lease on Frogmore Cottage. The unexpected move will ensure a royal backdrop plus material on tap for their Kardashian-style Netflix documentary. It also means Harry, who is visiting the UK this week with his family, may be neighbours with his warring brother William.
The Sussexes will stay at the cottage for the Jubilee celebrations with son Archie, three, and daughter Lilibet, who turns one on Saturday. Last month they extended their lease with a 12-month rolling deal at the property, a ten-minute walk from the Queen’s apartments.
It is currently empty as tenants Princess Eugenie and hubby Jack Brooksbank are in Portugal, The Sun can reveal.
Royal insiders believe the Sussexes, who have a £13million mansion in California, plan to spend more time in Windsor. And that is set to cause dismay to William, who wants a move there with Kate and their kids.
One insider said: “It is quite a signal that they aren’t going to disappear. They could easily give up Frogmore as their life’s now in California. By agreeing to extend the lease, and with Jack and Eugenie focusing on Portugal, they have a firm presence smack bang in the middle of the Windsor court where it’s all happening. They can now come and go any time they please. The coming year could be one of the most tumultuous in royal history and the Sussexes are making sure they have a foothold in Windsor.”
A Buckingham Palace spokesman said: “Frogmore Cottage remains the UK home of The Duke and Duchess of Sussex.”
One, Eugenie and Jack are moving to Portugal! We will have more on that in a separate post, but let me tell you this: Eugenie and Jack’s news was introduced through the “what’s happening with Frogmore” conversation. It’s so bizarre. Two, William and Kate suddenly want Frogmore Cottage, LMAO! I mean, I kind of doubt that, but it’s hilarious that the Cambridges have spent the past year, yelling “give us a palace, give us a fort, give us a castle” only to be told “no” at every turn. Now they want the dilapidated shack which was renovated at great cost by Harry & Meghan? Nope. (Note: while The Sun doesn’t actually say that the Keens might want Frogmore Cottage, the Mail actually did say that, my bad.) As for Harry and Meghan renewing the lease… I think they just want to keep their options open, and maintaining Frogmore is easier than staying at a hotel or asking Charles to open up some guest rooms whenever they do visit.
Photos courtesy of Avalon Red, WENN.
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- The Duchess of Sussex will visits the University of Johannesburg The Duchess of Sussex was announced as Patron of ACU in January 2019, Â Association of Commonwealth Universities (ACU)Â brings together universities from around the world to advance knowledge, promote understanding, broaden minds and improve lives. Where: Johanesburg When: 01 Oct 2019 Credit: WENN/Avalon **WENN/Avalon**
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- YOKOHAMA, JAPAN – NOVEMBER 02: Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex arrives at the stadium prior to the Rugby World Cup 2019 Final between England and South Africa at International Stadium Yokohama on November 02, 2019 in Yokohama, Kanagawa, Japan. Where: Yokohama, Kanagawa, Japan When: 02 Nov 2019 Credit: WENN/Avalon **WENN/Avalon**
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- HRH The Duke and Duchess of Sussex depart after visiting The Canadian High Commissioner to the UK, Janice Charette at the Canadian High Commission at Canada House, London, England, UK on Tuesday 7 January, 2020. Picture by Justin Ng/UPPA/Avalon Featuring: Prince Harry, Meghan Markle Where: London, England, United Kingdom When: 07 Jan 2020 Credit: WENN/Avalon **WENN/Avalon**
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- HRH The Duke and Duchess of Sussex depart after visiting The Canadian High Commissioner to the UK, Janice Charette at the Canadian High Commission at Canada House, London, England, UK on Tuesday 7 January, 2020. Picture by Justin Ng/UPPA/Avalon Featuring: Prince Harry, Meghan Markle Where: London, England, United Kingdom When: 07 Jan 2020 Credit: WENN/Avalon **WENN/Avalon**
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- The Duke and Duchess of Sussex with their baby son, who was born on Monday morning, during a photocall in St George’s Hall at Windsor Castle in Berkshire.
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- The 2019 Trooping the Colour ceremony takes place in Horse Guards Parade with troops of the 1st Battalion Grenadier Guards trooping their regimental flag, or colour, in front of HM Queen Elizbeth II for The Queens official Birthday Parade. The Duke and Duchess of Sussex arriving.
The article says “may be neighbors with” William, which suggests that William may yet get Frogmore House after all…
I just pictured Kate standing on a ladder looking into all the windows of Frogmore Cottage. “I must see their bedroom! I must see the stove!”
I must see Harry.
We know the BM is dreadful with geography (remember that LA is just a short flight from Palm Beach), so my guess is by “neighbors” they mean they may all have residences in Windsor. Windsor Great Park is a big place.
Are they just rehashing old news? I thought they announced the lease renewal months ago?
@Aurora … They did, and Buckingham Palace released the same comment at the time as well. I also thought the last conversation about the Cambridges and Frogmore was about Frogmore House rather than Frogmore Cottage.
Isn’t Frogmore House were Harry and Meghan’s wedding reception was held as well as many Royal/Windsor Family celebrations?
Of course it makes sense for them to renew the lease and keep this as a UK base whether or not anyone is actually living in it full time. Harry has been clear about maintaining links with the UK.
Also, I thought Harry as whatever kind of counsellor to the Queen he is, needed to maintain a residence in the UK.
I’m waiting for Charles to name Harry as a counselor… that’ll blow some minds.
@Wiglet Watcher Counsellors of State are not chosen. Under the Regency Act the Counsellors are the Monarch’s spouse and the next four in the line of succession who are at least 21. When Charles is King the Counsellors will be Camilla, William, Harry , Andrew and Beatrice. Any adjustments will require an amendment to the Regency Act which would involve Parliament.
This is no surprise at all. The Sussexes need to keep all their options open and do whatever is in their best interests and not allow themselves to be pushed around by anyone.
If true that W wanted it for K, I would renew the lease just to prevent that. Maintaining it means that H&M or Eugenie could use it at times when they are in the UK.
I think there are a few reasons for choosing to keep Frogmore. 1.) It is probably the most secure place in the UK for the Sussexes should they want to visit more now that the security situation has ostensibly been figured out. 2.) They repaid the money for the renovations post-Sussexit so that place really is theirs in almost every sense of the word. 3.) Despite the BM’s and Keen and Peen’s best efforts, H&M are still a part of this family and should get the same privileges associated with being related to the monarch. I don’t think they care for the trappings of royalty but it’s the principle of them not erasing M and her children like they tried so hard to.
I agree with those points. It makes the most sense to renew so I don’t understand why people are shocked. Or why this is news when it was already reported months ago. They’re going to have better than average security, they paid millions for the renovations so they want to recoup some of it. It’s easier to have a place than staying in a hotel or finding a rental. I feel like people are trying to make a story out of nothing.
Louise haven’t you figured out this is what the rota rats 🐀 🐀 do daily? Make shit up and hope some of it sticks. Just like the kardashian style Netflix thing? They’re despicable.
The Queens not dead yet. Harry still needs a secure place to come to on a moments notice until the Queen passes. And that may be a few more years.
The real story here is that Eugenie and her husband are moving to Portugal. This Sun piece was all over the place. We’ve known Harry and Meghan had renewed the lease on Frogmore for months now so I’m not getting why the Sun is reporting it as new information.
Are the tabloids trying to set a foundation for baking H&M for Eugenie’s defection? I don’t know how beloved she is in the UL, but maybe they’re testing to see if anyone is outraged before going full throttle on that narrative.
“Blaming,” not baking. Haven’t had coffee yet.
Hell, Shawna, I liked “baking.” It’s true.
Looks like Frogmore will be shared with Eugenie and her husband, so that they also have a base in Windsor.
I thought Eugenie was staying at ivy Cottage at KP again when they’re back in the UK.
As much as the UK is bad vibes, I really am proud of H and M for staking their claim. Harry is a prince of the land and a councilor of state to the queen…it’s his birthright…he shouldn’t be run off completely by anyone.
I agree. It’s his birthright as well as his children’s birthrights. He is not letting those fools write him and his family out of the histories.
There’s no way Harry is being written out of the histories. Years from now, historians* will discuss and write about the feckless, unhinged prince who was the last of the English kings, and how his jealousy and rage at his far more popular and beloved brother was the catalyst for the downfall of the monarchy.
* Real historians, not tabloid gossipmongers.
It seems like a no brainer move by the Sussexes to keep the lease in order to have a place to stay in privacy when visiting. It’s also smart because it reveals nothing about any future decisions they might make. But where did this Will and Kate suddenly wanting Frogmore Cottage suddenly come from? Please, they don’t want to live there.
Mixing up Frogmore House with Frogmore Cottage.
I wonder if they are just getting that desperate. My first instinct is to agree with Jan, that the article mixed up House and Cottage, even though there are issues with the Cambs moving to Frogmore House – but then i also wonder if those issues are why the cambs wanted Frogmore cottage.
Like I dont think they actually want Frogmore Cottage. But if this is about Kate’s separation residence, then William probably isnt’ too invested in where they live. And if every other place they’ve angled for has been shot down as an option, and Eugenie and Jack aren’t there anymore, maybe someone was like “well there is this cottage that’s fully renovated and right in the heart of Windsor, maybe you can have that if you’re so desperate for this third house” and then Harry was like sorry, renewing my lease.
That would also explain the weirdness of this story, if someone in the press found out that W&K were angling for Frogmore Cottage (just for Kate really) and couldn’t get it bc harry renewed his lease.
I don’t think objectively W&K have any interest in Frogmore Cottage, but if they are that desperate to move to Windsor (for “the children”) and no other options are on the table, maybe they thought this was a plausible option. Kind of a desperate times call for desperate measures sort of thing.
It’s another strategy for pushing them out—taking over their place. “Now you have nowhere to go, so don’t come back!” But realistically, it was probably just a dummy mixing up the two residences.
Harry and Meghan spent a fortune renovating Frogmore Cottage. It was repaid, quite quickly I might add, and everyone on Salty Bitter and Bitchey Island are furious that H&M keep renewing the lease. Why shouldn’t they? They paid to have it renovated, no one else has reimbursed the Crown for renovations.
I just hope that they have the wherewithal to get TQ to given them a long term lease, so that once she passes they no longer have to “deal” with Charles.
I love the part about the “Kardashian-like documentary.” Why not say that any footage on the Brit royals will be “Jimmy Saville-like coverage?” H and M NEVER had anything to do with the Kardashians. However, royals HAVE had extensive contact with that pedophile. Hell, you don’t even have to leave the family for pedophiles. Just mention Andrew in every story about any one of them.
The BM is projecting again. The Queen is the one releasing old home movies (and has also put out a few in the past) for a documentary.
That stuck out to me too, first it was worries that they were dragging cameras everywhere for their documentary (they aren’t) and now it’s just written about as if it’s a sure thing. Ridiculous.
I assume they kept the lease since they paid for the renovations – why would they give it up now? I doubt it will get much use, but I would imagine it’ll be a place for them should they ever pop into the UK again, and same for his cousin and her family.
I thought in yesterday article Harry and William were best friends again.boy that was a short happy ever after.
I can see why they would renew the lease, if I had put so much into a property, I would keep it for whenever I felt like coming into that country. As for William and his feelings, who cares, he does his thing in his house and Harry and Meghan will do theirs in their house.
Better Up is going in to the European market, Harry needs a base when he visits.
Eugenie will be staying at one of the cottages at KP when she visits England.
Harry and Meghan paid back 3 million, you don’t think they’re going to walk away.
When will they stop with the Netflix BS, is that all they have to use against them.
It was the one two punch of them buying the Monetecito house and the Netflix deal that knocked EVERYONE for a loop with the realization that Harry wasn’t coming back. That’s why they harp on both ENDLESSLY.
I also think the trash British media WANT them to do a kardashian style Netflix program because then they’ll have content for YEARS. As of right now they are starving for any new Harry and Meghan content and they know that the tabloids will never get credentialed for ANY Harry and Meghan events (like Invictus Games) so they’re just desperate for info that they can twist into certain narratives and write a million click-baity articles about.
So what!? The reporting is ridiculous,many weathly people have homes in different countries like the Beckhams,Clooneys its hardly a surprise especially when one of them is their birth country.
If I had to chose between being William or Harry I would choose being Harry. He got a fabulous life living in sunny Montecito and leasing a very nice “cottage” in Windsor. Harry is not bound by royal duties like his stuffy brother. William. Harry got the best of both worlds.
Like others said, they paid for, they should be able to use it as they like. It’s home base for whenever they visit the UK. I really do hope security issues have been worked out.
I think its hilarious that they are so pressed about Harry and Meghan wanting to keep a base in the London area. It’s been the tabloids who have insisted they will never return, not H&M. And it also makes sense if the queen’s health is poor – this way when they return they’re close to her, and when she passes they’ll be there for the events surrounding that. It’s not the mystery that the tabloid press makes it out to be.
but it IS hilarious in context of William being so desperate for a Windsor residence.
It really is. William is coming off so desperate. I’m almost embarrassed for him. Almost.
It tells you a lot about the state of the marriage, doesn’t it?
Most definitely. I’ve been of the mindset that they will never divorce, but I don’t know. Something really fishy is going on and it appears to be getting worse and worse. Never say never I guess. Oh to be a fly on the wall.
Do you think it is William who cares so much about a Windsor residence, or just Kate?
@GABBY
,I was just about to say that. She can just pop in without possibly being spotted. Kate my goodness, get it together . You are letting everyone peep your hand. The womans unhinged need to be near hary is appalling.
@Gabby Could be both. When Kate is obsessing over PH, she leaves PW free to do his own thing.
@Gabby – if the Windsor residence is about setting Kate up in a completely separate household from William, then my guess is that both care about the Windsor residence but for very different reasons.
I believe that keeping the house was key to Harry remaining a Counsellor of State. He needs a UK domicile.
Also, this renewal happened/was reported a while ago, so why are they reporting it like it just happened and is in any way related to Netflix?
I thought the lease was renewed back in Feb? This just seems like old news being rehashed because the Sun needs column inches filled. Anyways, I think I said it on the article that Kaiser linked that a renewal makes sense for a lot of purposes: residency purposes being the main one as well as already spending millions refurbishing it.
A few months ago we were told Harry renewed the lease on Frogmore in order to meet the residency requirement to stay Councilor of State, now we’re told he just renewed the lease so he can film life at Windsor for Netflix. It makes sense that they renewed since the property is within the royal security bubble, but after all the nonsense from the press about the money spend to renovate I’m surprise they still think positively about the house.
When they lived at Kensington, William complained about all the celebrities coming through the gate of Kensington ( he only complained about Meghan’s celebrity friends not Eugenie’s) hopefully Windsor is big enough and spread out enough that he won’t concern himself with the going-ons at frogmore.
But never a word of complaint about anybody Andrew brought through the gates at Windsor?
I think this is related to the Counselor of State business and needing to be “domiciled” in the UK. It also gives them a secure place when in the UK. But if I were the Sussexes, I’d try to lock down a 99-year lease for Frogmore Cottage because I don’t trust what might happen when Chuck is king, let alone The Other Brother. TOB is definitely not allowing that lease to be renewed. I assume the monarch has some say in whether the lease is renewed and it’s not just up to the tenant.
It still burns me up that they had to payback a gift and are on a year to year lease – and mostly that NOBODY (including the queen AKA Harry’s beloved granny in her granny capacity) stood up to the media to say enough is enough with the Sussex harassment!! Ugh, the royals are such trash. But they are certainly getting what they deserve now with every young family member fleeing the country 🤣 Happy now, Chuck?
I think in this case it is Harry’s legal right to renew the lease and his choice about the length of renewal. He could renew for a longer period but may be choosing annual renewals to keep his options open.
The Queen wanted Prince and Princess Michael of Kent to move out of Kensington Palace and offered to buy them a suitable house. They refused and there was nothing the Queen could do.
Harry has put a lot of his own money into Frogmore Cottage. He has paid for major structural work that has converted a dilapidated and unusable row of cottages into a modern royal residence that can be available for others in the future.
As well as buying the lease he will be paying rent since he no longer has official duties (apart from being a Counsellor of State). The rent ought be reduced in view of his paying for the structural work.
It looks as if Frogmore Cottage will continue to be a shared arrangement between the Brooksbanks and the Sussexes. It makes sense to have the house occupied as much as possible.
The Sussexes were “given” the cottage to lease, they aren’t squatting on royal grounds, and they paid for all of the extensive renovations, too? So why would they give it up at all, let alone for someone who “might” be moving there?
Even if the Cambridges get their way and squeeze Gran for Frogmore house or something else on the grounds, it would be their third residence, and more likely than not only part of the family would be living there at any one time, so they could avoid each other quite easily. This is just the rota trying to stir up trouble as usual, but it may end up backfiring.
Probably just want to have it in their back pocket, to remind everyone that Harry is royal and no amount of horrible articles and leaks will ever change that.
The bm keeps throwing out HM stories to have news about the couple. The lack of real info doesn’t stop the stories. They just keep warming up the leftovers and throwing in spice i.e. kardashians,Netflix, and whatever else may rile up derangers. The media won’t tire of this boondoggle because it generates coins for trash.
Meghan and Harry haters are OBSESSED with them. They will never stop clicking on these articles. I’m a HUGE Sussex fan and I don’t search the internet for articles about them. The articles I see here are more then enough.
I am surprised they renewed. I am in the “kiss the UK goodbye, nyah nyah nyah” camp. But that’s my problem and I am not H&M, LOL. Time will tell how often the Sussexes return. Perhaps the Frogmore Cottage lease will become less attractive to the Sussexes after the queen dies (especially if the Hatebridges finally move to Windsor).
For the amount of money they spent on those renovations, you better believe I’d be renewing the lease too and trying to get Granny to extend it to a 99 year lease as well. Just so that Harry can stick it to his family and refuse to be edged out even if the Sussexes rarely use FC.
Them keeping Frogmore is not new, the Netflix reality show angle the BM keeps talking about as if it was real along with wanting to create drama for the Jubbly is the reason they are talking about it now.
I understand Andrew paid for extensive renovations on Royal Lodge with the money from the sale of his house, GIFTED to him by the Queen. Consequently, he was given a big break on the cost of the lease. Why shouldn’t Harry and Meghan get the same break? Shouldn’t Charles gift Harry a house or a long lease, as the Queen did with all of her children? Anne was set up for life with her estate which indluces profitable working farms. I wouldn’t be surprised the Queen contributed to Edwards lease. It appears to be an enormous place. Kings have treated the children of their mistresses better than the royal family has treated Harry. They got estates and titles. Harry got nothing.
I don’t get the whole Frogmore Cottage renovation thing. In the UK you get two sorts of leases. A long lease where you effectively own the property for a period of years, usually 70+ for regular residential properties. Some national trust properties are also leased this way. The other sort of lease is shorter term, usually year on year, which is how rental properties work. I can see why the Sussexes would have a yearly lease, it gives them more flexibility. What is weird to me is that Harry and Meghan had to repay renovations on what was effectively a rental property. With long leases the leaseholder is responsible for any renovation work, so it would be fair to ask H&M to repay it as they effectively own the property while they hold the lease and can’t be evicted. But with an annual rental the landlord (in this case the crown) pays for renovation as they own the property and would benefit from the increased property value after the renovation. The crown could refuse to let H&M renew for another year and H&M would be out of pocket for the renovation work.
Harry stated a month or so ago why he was suing the secuurity office in the UK-he said he wanted proper security for his family and himself when they visit-he wants to bring his family for visits and show them areas of the UK over time-so keeping Frogmore cottage makes sense for his family-how much they will visit I don’t know-Meghan and Harry makes the UK media lose their minds with stupid nonsense-they renewed the lease back in late Feb. 2022-the UK media vultures need to go and eat the scraps off the side of roads-nothing here to see or talk about-Peace OUt