LONDON – Prince Harry and his wife Meghan have finally vacated their home on the royal family's Windsor estate, west of London, Buckingham Palace confirmed on Thursday.
The property, known as Frogmore Cottage, was a wedding present to the couple from Harry's grandmother, the late Queen Elizabeth II, in 2018.
But they were reportedly asked to remove any remaining possessions days after Harry, King Charles III's younger son, launched a scathing attack on his family in his controversial memoir Spare in January.
"We can confirm that the Duke and Duchess of Sussex have vacated Frogmore Cottage," senior palace official Michael Stevens said as an annual report on royal finances was published Thursday.
"We will not be going into any detail on those arrangements here," said Stevens, who is the monarch's treasurer as Keeper of the Privy Purse.
He added that the couple who now live in California had paid £2.4 million (US$3 million, RM14 million) to cover rent and the cost of refurbishing the cottage, which belongs to the monarch's Crown Estate.
The loss of the property leaves the couple without a UK base.
Harry and Meghan, an American former TV actress, sensationally quit royal family duties in early 2020 and moved from Britain to the United States.
Since leaving they have repeatedly criticised the royal family.
Stevens did not comment on speculation that the King's disgraced brother Prince Andrew might move to the cottage from his current palatial residence, Royal Lodge, nearby.
"Any future occupancy will be determined and communicated in next year's report," Stevens added.
Charles, who has long favoured a slimmed-down monarchy, has been undertaking an overhaul of family finances since his mother's death.
Andrew, however, has reportedly resisted any attempts to move him from his 30-room home. – AFP, June 30, 2023
