The chasm between Prince Harry and Meghan Markle and their old life as official Royals seems to widen every day, and now King Charles has issued the ultimate proof that they can never go home again… by making sure they can literally never go home again.
Before their move across the Atlantic — the Duke and Duchess of Sussex now live in Montecito, California with their two children, Prince Archie (5) and Princess Lilibet (3) — Harry and Meghan resided in Frogmore Cottage, which might sound like a cozy country house but is actually a still pretty sizeable four-bedroom stately home in Windsor.
Frogmore Cottage has remained empty since the Sussexes went west in 2020 but now King Charles is trying his best to move a troublesome member of his family into the cottage, which sends a clear message to Harry and Meghan that they won’t be welcome back into the fold anytime soon.
“It sends a message to Harry”: Why is King Charles forcing his wayward brother to live in Frogmore Cottage?
Although Harry and Meghan have been happily ensconced in America since 2020, their lease on Frogmore Cottage didn’t lapse until 2023. So now that Frogmore Cottage is officially empty, King Charles is hoping to use it to take care of a pesky problem named Prince Andrew.
For those somehow still unaware, Prince Andrew has impressively made himself the most controversial member of the Royal family in recent years, since his ties to Jeffrey Epstein came to light and he faced his own sexual misconduct allegations (which he infamously failed to believably refute in a TV interview). Currently, Andrew lives in the 30-room Royal Lodge at Windsor but now Charles wants to reinstall his bothersome brother at Frogmore Cottage.
“For King Charles, forcing Andrew to move to Frogmore solves several problems at once,” reveals royal author and expert Tom Quinn (via The Mirror). “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.”
Quinn goes on to claim that the real reason Charles wants Andrew out of the Royal Lodge is because he wants to gift it to his oldest son William and his family.
“It sends a message to Andrew that having disgraced himself, he can no longer expect to live in the grand style,” Quinn continues. “And, finally, it means that a suitably grand residence can be made ready 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.”
Charles first encouraged Andrew to relocate to Frogmore Cottage last year, but the monarch’s younger sibling is dragging his feet over the move. According to insider sources, Andrew is “taking longer than desirable” to “recognize the reality of the situation.” However, Charles is apparently losing his patience, as it’s been noted that “the King’s kindness is not without limit.”
It sounds like William and Harry are not the only warring brothers in the family.