Why Prince William and Princess Kate Reportedly Refused to Move Into Frogmore Cottage, Harry and Meghan’s Former Home

Turns out, Prince William and Princess Kate turned down an opportunity to live at the famous Frogmore Cottage, once home to Prince Harry and Meghan Markle.

According to Hello!, the Prince and Princess of Wales refused to live at Frogmore Cottage because it was "too small." As a result, the late Queen Elizabeth gifted the residence to her grandson, Prince Harry, and his wife, Meghan Markle, in 2018.

Instead, the future king and queen of England live in Adelaide Cottage, which reportedly features four bedrooms including a primary bedroom with "gilded dolphins and ropes from the former royal yacht on the ceiling," the publication reports.

Frogmore is one of the "smaller royal properties on the Windsor Home Park estate," the outlet adds, but that didn't keep Prince Harry from singing its praises in his tell-all memoir, Spare.

"Frogmore was ready. We loved that place," the Duke of Sussex wrote at the time. "From the first minute. It felt as if we were destined to live there."

"We couldn’t wait to wake up in the morning, go for a long walk in the gardens, check in with the swans. Especially grumpy Steve," the royal continued. "We met the Queen’s gardeners, got to know their names and the names of all the flowers. They were thrilled at how much we appreciated, and praised, their artistry."

In 2023, the Duke and Duchess of York confirmed they were asked to "vacate their resident at Frogmore Cottege." The pair then posted their statement confirming the move on Instagram, along with a series of photos of the couple and their young family enjoying the residence.

According to Page Six, in 2023—and after King Charles asked his son to leave his U.K. residence—a reportedly distraught Prince Harry gave his father an ultimatum, asking: “Do you want to see your grandchildren again?”

The couple was asked to leave after they stepped back as working royals, citing security concerns and the ongoing racist attacks aimed at Markle in the press, the media, and according the couple allegedly from some senior members of the royal family.

In Omid Scobie’s bombshell book, Endgame: Inside the Royal Family and the Monarchy’s Fight for Survival, the author called the decision to force Prince Harry and Markle from their home “a cheap shot from a wounded father bound by an institutional system that is often intolerant of human emotion.”

Now, years later, the rift between King Charles and Prince Harry is reportedly greater than ever before. King Charles is said to be refusing to take the Duke of Sussex's calls, including his son's inquiries into his ongoing cancer treatment and requests for security.

Most recently, a source claiming to be familiar with the situation told the Daily Mail that King Charles is seeking "spiritual guidance" when it comes to his fractured relationship with his younger son.

"Faith has always been a part of Charles' life and something he’s explored, but since becoming King it is playing a more central role," the insider told the publication at the time. "That reliance on faith and quiet contemplation has become a comfort and asset to him and helps him cope with the role as he adapts to being King."