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The Duke and Duchess of Sussex have vacated Frogmore Cottage, Buckingham Palace has confirmed.
When Prince Harry and his wife Meghan retired from their official roles and moved to California, they agreed to reimburse the £2.4 million taxpayers had spent on renovating the five-bedroom home, which they had received as a gift from the late Queen Elizabeth while they were still active members of the Royal Family.
The palace has acknowledged that the improvements they sponsored have given the Crown “a greatly enhanced asset.”
We can confirm that the Duke and Duchess of Sussex have left Frogmore Cottage, said Sir Michael Stevens, Keeper of the Privy Purse, during the annual Sovereign Grant account briefing on Royal finances.
We will not be going into any detail on those arrangements here.
“Safe to say that, as has previously been stated, the Duke and Duchess have paid for the expenditure incurred by the Sovereign Grant in relation to the renovation of Frogmore Cottage, thus leaving the Crown with a greatly enhanced asset.”
With regards to who will reside there next, the official said: “I have nothing to add.
“Any future occupancy will be determined and communicated in next year’s report.”
There had been reports of the disgraced Prince Andrew moving there.
Harry and Meghan, who have two young children, Princess Lilibet, 2, and Prince Archie, 4, moved into the house in the spring of 2019 following major renovations that turned it from a collection of distinct residences into one spacious family home.
It was the couple’s “wish to repay Sovereign Grant expenditure for the refurbishment of Frogmore Cottage, which will remain their UK family home,” according to a statement from Buckingham Palace when they withdrew from royal duties the following year with plans to be “financially independent.” They later stated they would continue to pay a “commercial rate” of rent for the property.
Accounts stated they paid five months’ worth of rent before transferring the bulk payment of £2.4 million in September to cover the expense of the renovations.
Official reports for the Sovereign Grant – which detail public spending on the royal family – showed the sum was listed as both “rental income” and “recharges for functions and other income” in the 2020/21 figures, and the following year the final part of the money was listed as “deferred income under current liabilities”.
Former Cabinet Minister and Privy Counsellor Norman Baker had blasted the deal.
He said: “It is outrageous that Harry and Meghan should be able to live in a huge house on these terms while regular people struggle to put food on the table.”
Meanwhile, the annual briefing also revealed that the heating has been turned down at Buckingham Palace and other royal residences to cut emissions.
The post Duke & Duchess Of Sussex – Prince Harry And Meghan Markle Vacate Their Frogmore Cottage appeared first on SurgeZirc UK.
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