The request for Prince Harry and Meghan Markle to leave their UK residence, Frogmore Cottage, was confirmed this week by a spokesperson for the couple.
The couple is concerned about how they will ever bring their kids back to the UK given their security worries. In the future, Harry and Meghan will have to apply for protection if they need to travel to the UK, which makes preparation much more difficult. The absence of a different UK residence on the market almost seems symbolic.
Photo: Getty Images
Since it was Harry and Meghan’s first home together as a married couple, the Windsor residence holds a special place in their hearts. They celebrated their daughter Lilibet’s first birthday there, among other things, by having a small picnic.
Harry and Meghan used the cottage whenever they visited the UK, including for the Queen’s state funeral the previous year (even though it was only the lease, not the actual property she gave them).
Royal watchers have also observed that Harry and Meghan now permanently reside in Montecito, California, with fewer and fewer trips to England. As a result, the property is frequently empty.
What does King Charles’s choice, however, mean for the couple in general, and for their kids Archie and Lilibet in particular?
Harry and Meghan are known to be very concerned about security. Harry has been fighting this decision in court and they are no longer eligible for royal police protection when they travel to the UK. They also have strict security measures in place at their Montecito home.
They have a physical security team that escorted Meghan and Archie on their school run, according to Meghan’s 2022 interview with The Cut, and they also have guards on the property’s perimeter.
It is obvious that their children’s safety comes first.
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Archie and Lilibet are visiting from the US, and according to Harry’s representatives, they would like to stay with him, but it is “too dangerous” for them to go back to his house.
However, Frogmore was the only location in the UK that did satisfy the couple’s security requirements due to the additional levels of protection provided.
The Royalty and Specialist Protection Unit of the Metropolitan Police, which guards the entire Windsor estate, is in charge of the cottage because it is only a short distance from Windsor Castle.
Photo: Netflix
The Prince was taken off the list for the Protection of Royalty and Public Figures (Ravec), whose members receive automatic security paid for by taxpayers, after Harry and Meghan decided to take a break from royal duties in 2020.
Harry and Meghan’s participation in the coronation on May 6 is still up in the air following King Charles’s decision.
Photo: Getty Images
It seems less and less likely that Archie and Lilibet will travel because of their concern for their family’s safety and the fact that they can no longer use Frogmore Cottage.
Having said that, Harry and Meghan have stated they will leave the home after the coronation. Will this be their final trip to the UK together in May?
