Scobie: The Sussexes feel that their Frogmore eviction is a cruel punishment

The Sun broke the news last night that King Charles is “evicting” the Sussex family from Frogmore Cottage, the family home on the Windsor Estate which was “given” to them by Queen Elizabeth. The Sussexes paid the exorbitant cost of renovating the dilapidated royal property and they have a current lease on Frogmore as well, a lease which Charles is simply breaking out of spite. Well, Omid Scobie has the motherlode of royal tea about the news – he must have gotten the heads up on this before the Sun, or maybe all of the royal rota reporters were getting briefed on it. You can read Scobie’s full piece here. Some highlights:

Frogmore Cottage is protected & secure: Their official UK residence, which is covered by the Met’s Royalty and Specialist Protection Unit, made it easy for the family to spend time with the Queen during their June 2022 visit, and it’s where Harry and Meghan have based themselves during multiple stays since moving to California. Though the Sussexes travel with their own private security team, royal protection officers provide a level of security – including access to essential intelligence information – that is already deemed necessary for other members of the Royal Family.

The Sussexes have paid for Frogmore in full: Alongside the unprecedented sovereign grant reimbursement was also a large sum paid by the couple to the Crown Estate covering the rent on the property for the foreseeable future. But now, less than three years into that long-term lease, Prince Harry has been dealt a crushing blow after his father, King Charles, announced he is evicting the family from their Windsor property – a decision made shortly after his revealing memoir, Spare, was released in January.

People are appalled: At a time when communication between Harry and his family has reached an all-time low, further details provided to the couple by the institution have been scant. The property, they were told, is needed for someone else. It’s news, sources tell me, that has left Harry and Meghan stunned, and at least two members of the Royal Family “appalled”. That “someone else” now has been revealed as Prince Andrew. The late Queen’s disgraced son — who was stripped of his royal titles and patronages amid underage sex abuse allegations by Jeffrey Epstein survivor Virginia Giuffre (which the Prince has denied) — was last week offered the keys to Frogmore by King Charles after being warned he must downsize from his Royal Lodge mansion by August.

The Sussexes must vacate by the summer: “Harry and Meghan have until early summer to vacate,” a source shares. “Initially they were given just weeks, but now they have at least until after the coronation.” (No word yet on whether the couple will be attending said coronation – invites aren’t being sent to its 2,000 guests until next week).

A cruel punishment: The decision on the Sussexes’ home is a clear sign of just how sour relations between the King and his son have become. Given the timing of the news, it’s hard not to view it as a response to his son’s literary tell-all, which is said to have left the monarch “spitting mad”. “It all feels very final and like a cruel punishment,” says a friend of the couple. “It’s like [the family] want to cut them out of the picture for good.”

Charles doesn’t want to see his mixed-race grandchildren: But despite the [security] risks, and the prospect of grandchildren Archie and Lilibet not being able to visit in the future, King Charles is sticking firm to his eviction notice. The monarch, I’m told, has focused his priorities elsewhere. “I think the King is just fed up with the entire situation,” says a royal source. A Buckingham Palace spokesman refused to comment.

Andrew has been evicted from Royal Lodge too: “He has until autumn to leave but is resisting,” adds an insider, who confirms that it was Charles who personally offered Frogmore to his brother. The King is also reportedly covering the cost of private, unarmed security for Andrew, estimated to be close to £3m a year.

Prince William wanted Frogmore Cottage too: It’s not the first time the future of Frogmore Cottage has been discussed without Harry present. Last summer, the Prince William briefly had his eyes on his brother’s seven-bedroom home before choosing the nearby Adelaide Cottage for his family. A source said William “had questions” about whether Harry and Meghan’s home could be an option. “The optics would have been terrible though,” they added.

The Sussexes made Frogmore into a real family home: Prior to getting the keys, the cottage had spent more than 90 years split into five separate units for estate workers. “It was really tatty but they did so much to turn it back into a proper home, so many personal touches and so much of it on a tight budget,” a friend said at the time. Adds a source, “This is not just some random rental they keep for convenience. Every drawer is full, every closet is packed… It’s a real family home.”

[From Yahoo UK]

I mean… given how Charles went out of his way to snub and disrespect Harry and Meghan when QEII passed away, I figured that Charles would eventually find some way to evict them from Frogmore Cottage. I just didn’t think it would be done in such an obviously petty and vindictive way, but hey, that’s on brand for Charles and his loser advisors. The thing which I thought would “protect” the Sussexes is the fact that Frogmore Cottage is just some… minor little cottage on an enormous estate full of forts, castles, mansions and palaces. Like, the Windsors have sooo many properties at their disposal, who cares about this shack? Apparently, everyone. As soon as QEII gave the Sussexes the cottage, William was jealous, Charles was furious and the public was outraged. Of course William wanted Frogmore!

Also… there are other cottages on the Windsor estate – Andrew doesn’t have to be moved into Frogmore, he could be moved into one of the other smaller cottages in Windsor or Sandringham or literally wherever. Charles is making several really nasty choices here.

Photos courtesy of Avalon Red, Cover Images.

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