King Charles III may have pushed Prince Harry and Meghan Markle out of Frogmore House, but he may have an offer the couple can’t refuse. The Duke and Duchess of Sussex might be given the keys to an apartment at Buckingham Palace as their UK residence when they visit, according to the Independent. According to the site, the suite of rooms that the king may provide the newlyweds once belonged to Prince Andrew.
According to Christopher Andersen, author of “The King,” Charles, 74, would most certainly offer an olive branch to his son in the run-up to the coronation. On May 6, the king will be crowned at Westminster Abbey in London.
“There’s been a bit of blowback over the king’s decision to evict the Sussexes from Frogmore Cottage, and the last thing Charles wants is to look like a heartless landlord,” Andersen explained. “The king also needs to throw Harry a lifeline – a place where he can bring his family – and feel safe if, at the last minute, the Sussexes decide to show up for the coronation.”
“It remains to be seen whether this will be enough to coax Harry and Meghan back to London for the big day,” Andersen noted. “Given all the flak they’ve been getting on both sides of the pond, it’s just as likely the Sussexes will opt to shelter in place.” A spokesperson for the couple confirmed on Sunday that Harry “recently received email correspondence from His Majesty’s office regarding the coronation.”
“An immediate decision on whether The Duke and Duchess will attend will not be disclosed by us at this time,” the spokesperson added. Buckingham Palace did not reply immediately to a request for comment. Shannon Felton Spence, a royal expert, told Fox News Digital that the king has to provide a home base for the Sussexes anytime they wish to come. She stated that the king’s wish is to visit his two young grandchildren.
“It’s unrealistic to think that the king was ever going to make them book a hotel or an Airbnb,” said Felton Spence. “Realistically, he wants to see his grandchildren. When they come to visit it will most likely only ever be for big royal family events… Do I think it’s so he can monitor them? No. Buckingham Palace has 775 rooms. This is an economical decision.”
“[But] no one likes living at Buckingham Palace,” she noted. “They all want to be in Windsor. It’s less fishbowl and less opulent (though it is plenty opulent). Buckingham Palace is not a family home. It’s an office. The king doesn’t have to worry about Buckingham Palace just sitting empty as he does with other properties. Buckingham Palace is always going to be maintained, it’s always going to have staff. It’s a very economical choice to say, ‘Hey when you visit, you can stay here.’”
“Buckingham Palace comes with its own set of rules, in a way that Frogmore Cottage or anything else would not,” Felton Spence shared. “It’s not to keep an eye on them as much as it just is to keep them close.” On March 1, a spokesperson for the couple’s Archewell Foundation told Fox News Digital, “We can confirm the Duke and Duchess of Sussex have been requested to vacate their residence at Frogmore Cottage.”
Frogmore Cottage, on the grounds of Windsor Castle west of London, was supposed to be the couple’s primary residence when they retired from royal responsibilities and relocated to Southern California in 2020. According to the Sun, Charles started the eviction process on Jan. 11, the day following the release of Harry’s explosive memoir “Spare.” The revelations Harry, 38, made in “Spare” widened the schism between him and his family. His account of private conversations with his father and brother, Prince William, was included in the book.