Six months after the King evicted the Sussexes from their UK base, they are officially out. Photo / AP
Six months after the King sensationally evicted Harry and Meghan from their UK base, it has been confirmed that the couple have finally packed their bags, moved out and left the keys on the mantle, reports news.com.au.
“We can confirm that the Duke and Duchess of Sussex have vacated Frogmore Cottage,” Sir Michael Stevens, Keeper of the Privy Purse, revealed in an official statement.
“The Duke and Duchess have repaid the expenditure incurred by the Sovereign Grant in relation to the renovation of Frogmore Cottage, thus leaving the Crown with a greatly enhanced asset.”
Frogmore Cottage was given to the Sussexes by the late Queen Elizabeth II after they wed in 2018. The Windsor property underwent various renovations – amounting to a whopping £2.4 million (NZ$5 million) paid by taxpayers – prior to the couple moving in. The pair are said to have since repaid the cost of the home’s extensive upgrades.
AdvertisementAdvertise with NZME.Earlier this year, news broke that King Charles had demanded his son Prince Harry vacate the property just a few days after his bombshell memoir Spare hit shelves.
The Sun reports that the Sussexes’ possessions that were left at Frogmore Cottage have now been shipped over to their home in Montecito, California just days before the deadline date set by King Charles.
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex – along with their kids, Archie, 4, and Lilibet, 2 – currently live the US in a $21 million (NZ$35 million) mansion with nine bedrooms.
Prince Harry recently stayed at his former British abode earlier this month when he appeared in court for the Mirror Group Newspapers phone-hacking trial.
AdvertisementAdvertise with NZME.However, The Sun revealed that should Prince Harry want to use it in the foreseeable future while visiting the UK, a “private agreement” would be needed with his father - who he allegedly is on frosty terms with at the moment.
When Harry and Meghan’s eviction from Frogmore Cottage was announced in March, royal author Omid Scobie spoke of the couple’s reaction to the hard-hitting news.
“It all feels very final and like a cruel punishment,” an insider reportedly told him.
“It’s like [the family] want to cut them out of the picture for good.”
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex lived at Frogmore Cottage for just under a year before stepping back from royal duties and moving to the US in early 2020.