In a dramatic shake-up of the royal properties, the palace has revealed that Harry and Meghan have been requested to vacate their English home, Frogmore Cottage, as King Charles III begins his revaluation of the royal residences.
With his ascension to the throne, the king became the landlord of several royal residences up and down the UK and, after deciding against moving to Buckingham Palace he is continuing to change up the royal rota – with Prince Andrew rumored to be the next resident of Frogmore, according to royal correspondents in England.
As Harry and Meghan continue to sever ties with the UK after Harry’s controversial tell-all book, we take a look at the couples' remaining residences.
Harry and Meghan asked to leave Frogmore cottage
Despite having stated that Frogmore cottage would remain their base for visits to family in the UK, the contentious couple has been asked to relinquish the keys to the property in a move that royal experts claim could be the final straw in breaking ties between the two families.
Having stepped down as serving royals in 2020, the couple has been living in various states across the US with the cottage loaned to Harry’s cousin Eugenie and her husband in time for their first child's arrival – so it is safe to say that they will not be rushing to move much furniture out of the home in the next few weeks despite having paid for the renovations themselves in full after stepping down from the royal front-line.
Having requested a Windsor suite before being ‘downgraded’ to Frogmore cottage, it is likely to be seen as another slight towards the couple and a final driver in the rift between father and son.
Harry and Meghan's property portfolio
So where will the couple live now that Frogmore may be out of reach? Luckily for the pair and their two children, they have resided in several private luxury homes over the last three years that would leave even a royal jealous.
The Cotswold farmhouse
Signed as a two-year rental, a quiet Cotswold farmhouse was the first property the couple signed on together just before their $45 million wedding in 2018.
The Grade II-listed home is situated on the same 4,000-acre estate as the Beckham’s Cotswold estate in Great Tew. The three-bedroom cottage is complete with a lavish barn-conversion guest house that has been host to the couple's celebrity friends such as Priyanka Chopra and Nick Jonas, and George and Amal Clooney. The main home boasts a large dining room and outdoor heated patio – perfect for hosting, and three luxury bedrooms with the fourth transformed into a splendid dressing room and walk-in closet.
The couple had to leave their idyllic home in Oxfordshire after paparazzi located the property, Harry shared in the Netflix documentary. Given the home’s important role in the couple's early life together and the first months of their son’s Archies life, the move must not have been an easy one. Their departure from the home marked their last full-time residence within the UK.
Vancouver Island
Following their departure from the UK, Harry and Meghan Markle moved to Canada to Vancouver Island. Thought to afford the couple some privacy, the waterfront property was a part of the couple's plan to step back from the limelight and has been the center of controversy for the last year after it was revealed to be owned by a Russian Oligarch.
Far grander than their comparatively modest English cottage, the main house (affectionately called Millie Fleurs) sported eight bathrooms, five bedrooms, and a smaller three-bedroom guest house. Other highlights are thought to be a double-height living room, pizza oven, and wine-tasting space. The spot became a space for the couple to raise Archie with gated security.
The five-bedroom home became more of an extended holiday spot for the couple after they were forced to leave by invasive paparazzi and fears surrounding security once again in 2020.
Harry and Meghan's California home
The LA rental became a hide-out for the couple in 2020 after leaving Canada and losing the security afforded to full-time working royals. The home, owned by actor Tyler Perry, was loaned to the couple alongside a security detail, Meghan revealed in the explosive 2021 interview with Oprah Winfrey. The space ‘gave [the couple] breathing room to try and figure out what [they] were going to do’, Meghan Markel revealed.
Located in the gated Beverly Ridge Estates, the home was featured in the couple's Netflix documentary. Set over 24,500 square feet the home features high, double-height vaulted ceilings, marble plinth and archway features, and luxurious lighting ideas with perfect layering and crystal chandeliers. The star of the show is the roman bath-style bathroom, a grand take on spa bathroom trends.
The home also boasts impressive views across Franklin Canyon Park, however, the couple installed tall privacy screens at the beginning of the pandemic to protect their son from paparazzi on the nearby hiking trail. While Meghan Markle formerly owned an LA house before meeting Harry, it is thought that the Hollywood glamor did not sit right with the prince, ushering the pair and their child along to their next, and as of present, final property.
The Montecito estate
The Montecito estate has been the longest residence of the couple, after moving there in late 2020. The building is a ‘humble cottage’ in comparison to other properties in the area – all of which are among some of the world’s best homes, owned by celebrities along the likes of Ellen DeGeneres, Ariana Grande, and Oprah Winfrey’s historic home.
The home was seen throughout the Netflix documentary, with impressive glimpses into Meghan Markels calming neutral home office and personal glances into the birth of her second child, Lilibet – named after the late queen before her death.
The impressive gardens surrounding the Montecito Estate cover 7.38 acres and offer superb garden landscaping ideas with abundant trees to encourage rewilding, and therapeutic flowers designed to act as an escape for the couple.
It is believed that the family is considering selling their Montecito estate, however, over fears surrounding a rise in thefts in the star-studded area. It is not yet known if they have departed the property, or where they will be moving to next.
FAQs
Who owns Frogmore Cottage now?
Frogmore Cottage is a royal residence, meaning it is owned by the reigning monarch as part of the royal estate. Despite this, it is usually loaned out to family members such as to Harry and Meghan Markle in 2019, and then briefly to Princess Eugenie before she was given the keys to Nottingham Cottage at Kensington Palace.
Where do Harry and Meghan get their money now?
Now they are not a part of the royal family, Harry and Meghan largely make their money from commercial arrangements, personal wealth, and royalties from publications and Meghan's acting stints.
