- Multiple royal correspondents have confirmed that Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have fully repaid the cost of their Frogmore Cottage renovations.
- Critics of the couple have called on them to pay back British taxpayers for the £2.4 million in public funds that were used to update the Windsor property for the Sussexes.
- Royal sources say Harry paid back the amount in full and repaid it voluntarily.
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have faced a lot of criticism during their time as full-time working royals and since their royal exit earlier this year. One of the most consistent complaints from those who don't agree with the way the Sussexes have handled their roles with the royal family has been related to their Windsor home, Frogmore Cottage.
Harry and Meghan ordered major renovations for the property when they moved there from Kensington Palace, to the tune of £2.4 million in public funds. Especially since their royal exit, many have called on the couple to repay the money spent updating the home, which is no longer their primary residence since their move to the United States.
Today, a spokesperson for the Sussexes confirmed that Harry has paid back the full amount of public money spent on the renovations. Royal correspondent Rebecca English shared the announcement in a series of tweets, writing:
"Breaking: Prince Harry announces he has paid back the £2.4 million in public money spent on renovating Frogmore Cottage, which will remain his family’s UK home.
A spokesman says: ‘A contribution has been made to the Sovereign Grant by The Duke of Sussex. This contribution, as originally offered by Prince Harry, has fully covered the necessary renovation costs of Frogmore Cottage, a property of Her Majesty The Queen and will remain the UK residence of The Duke and his family.’"
Breaking: Prince Harry announces he has paid back the £2.4 million in public money spent on renovating Frogmore Cottage, which will remain his family’s UK home.September 7, 2020
Omid Scobie, one of the authors of the Sussexes' recent royal biography, Finding Freedom, also confirmed the news, adding that a royal source had confirmed that Harry paid back the money voluntarily.
Statement from a Sussex spokesperson:“This contribution, as originally offered by Prince Harry, has fully covered the necessary renovation costs of Frogmore Cottage a property of Her Majesty The Queen, and will remain the UK residence of The Duke and his family.”September 7, 2020
The news comes just days after Harry and Meghan announced that they've signed a deal with Netflix that's reportedly worth more than $100 million.
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Kayleigh Roberts is a freelance writer and editor with more than 10 years of professional experience. Her byline has appeared in Marie Claire, Cosmopolitan, ELLE, Harper’s Bazaar, The Atlantic, Allure, Entertainment Weekly, MTV, Bustle, Refinery29, Girls’ Life Magazine, Just Jared, and Tiger Beat, among other publications. She's a graduate of the Medill School of Journalism at Northwestern University.
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