Sussexes ‘weren’t told’ Prince Andrew would move into Frogmore once they leave
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex have been asked by the King to hand over the keys to Frogmore Cottage, but were not told it had been earmarked for the Duke of York, The Telegraph understands.
The couple has been given until just after the Coronation to vacate their Windsor home, although they have not yet confirmed whether they will attend the May 6 ceremony.
The Sussexes were said to have been disappointed when told they were being evicted from the property in January, three years after announcing that they were quitting royal duties and relocating abroad.
However, the revelation that the King has offered the Duke of York their much-loved home, which they carefully renovated to their own personal taste, will only serve to aggravate what have already been “difficult” talks.
The King asked the Sussexes to vacate their five-bedroom Georgian cottage around the time that Spare, the Duke’s memoir, was published in the New Year, but discussions have only recently gathered pace.
A friend admitted that the decision had not been welcomed by the couple, noting that they had “made that place their home”.
The Sussexes consider the cottage, which is ensconced on the Windsor estate, the “only place that’s left as a safe space” for them and their children, Archie, three, and Lilibet, one, in the UK – not least given the ongoing legal row over the Government’s decision to withdraw their right to automatic state-funded security.
The King’s decision to remove one of the final links his son has to the UK is said to be indicative of the current state of the relationship between the two sides of the family.
“There has been no embrace,” one source observed. “If anyone was going to try and pretend things were rosy, this somewhat blows the cover.”
The couple are understood to be upset but accepting of the decision and appreciate that they are “exceptionally privileged” with a roof over their heads.
However, it does “complicate” whether they will feel able to return to the UK or bring their children, in the future.
The couple were given the Crown Estate property by Queen Elizabeth II when they married in 2018. However, their extensive renovations, costing £2.4 million, caused a public furore, prompting the couple to eventually repay the money to the taxpayer via the Sovereign Grant.
The private money the couple ploughed into the property, and potential recompense, is understood to form part of the ongoing negotiations.
