The release of Prince Harry’s tell-all memoir Spare in January 2023 has intensified the already strained relationship between the Duke of Sussex and his family. The book, which provided an unprecedented insight into the inner workings of the royal family, proved to be the breaking point for his brother, Prince William, and his father, King Charles III.
In the wake of this family feud, Prince Harry and his wife, Meghan Markle, were asked to vacate Frogmore Cottage, their UK residence. The couple, who relocated to California in June 2020, had been given the property as a wedding gift from the late Queen. A spokesperson for Harry and Meghan confirmed in March 2023 that they “have been requested to vacate their residence at Frogmore Cottage”, told People.
Royal expert and author Tom Quinn revealed to The Mirror that Harry was left “absolutely furious and in tears” over the eviction, feeling that his father’s decision was “purely vindictive.” Quinn explained that Harry “couldn’t see that choosing to stop being a working royal would inevitably mean being deprived of his royal residence.” To Harry, the eviction felt like a “cruel rejection” from King Charles III, evoking painful memories of the bitter divorce between his parents.
“Harry took it as a cruel rejection – a painful reminder of all that he felt when his father fought with his mother during their long, drawn-out divorce,” Quinn added. He noted that Harry has long believed he should retain certain privileges, such as security paid for by the British taxpayer or a luxurious UK home, despite stepping back from royal duties.
However, the property at Frogmore Cottage is unlikely to remain empty for long. Reports suggest that King Charles, 75, is pressuring his scandal-hit brother, Prince Andrew, to vacate his 30-room Royal Lodge in Windsor and move into Frogmore instead. According to Quinn, this development is likely to displease Harry, who had harbored hopes of eventually re-establishing Frogmore Cottage as his and Meghan’s UK base.
“He will be deeply upset at the prospect of his uncle Prince Andrew moving into Frogmore – a very real prospect as King Charles insists that Andrew cannot continue to live at Royal Lodge,” Quinn told The Mirror.
Quinn further elaborated on King Charles’s motives, stating, “For King Charles, forcing Andrew to move to Frogmore solves several problems at once. It sends a message to Harry that, as a private citizen and no longer a working royal, he will never be allowed back to Frogmore. It sends a message to Andrew that having disgraced himself, he can no longer expect to live in the grand style.”
Finally, Quinn pointed out that this decision allows for a suitably grand residence to be prepared for the royals who “really matter”—William and Kate. “Charles is determined that Royal Lodge is the only residence on the Royal estate at Windsor that is big enough and regal enough for his heir,” he concluded.
As the royal rift continues to deepen, the eviction from Frogmore Cottage stands as a symbolic moment, reflecting the ongoing tensions and the reshaping of royal priorities under King Charles’s reign.