Princess Anne was instrumental in King Charles III's decision to evict Prince Harry and Meghan Markle from Frogmore Cottage, their "only safe home" in the U.K., according to royal biographer Omid Scobie.
In his book "Endgame: Inside the Royal Family and the Monarchy's Fight for Survival", the author wrote that the Princess Royal was "at the forefront of the supporters of the firm approach" to have the Sussexes vacate the cottage. According to Scobie, she "is said to have persuaded Charles to withdraw the use of Frogmore Cottage" from the couple given that they are no longer working members of the royal family and live abroad.
Excerpts obtained by The Telegraph ahead of the book's publication on November 28 revealed that the couple's team received a letter from Sir Michael John Stevens, the Keeper of the Privy Purse, stating that they should hand over the keys to the cottage, the use of which was a wedding gift from the late Queen Elizabeth II.
Prince Harry is said to have asked King Charles III: "You don't want to see your grandchildren any more?" He and Meghan Markle are parents to four-year-old Prince Archie and two-year-old Princess Lilibet.
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's spokesperson confirmed reports in February that the couple had been asked to vacate the premises. The decision was made just under two months after the duke released his memoir, "Spare" on January 10.
They were given until after the monarch's coronation on May 6 to pack up all their belongings and ship them to California. In June, at the annual Sovereign Grant account briefing on royal finances, Sir Stevens confirmed that the couple had vacated Frogmore Cottage.
Are you ready for the inside scoop on the world's most famous family? #ENDGAME by Omid @Scobie is out on 28th November.
— HQ Stories (@HQstories) November 15, 2023
Pre-order your copy now: https://t.co/zA9bZbXGZu pic.twitter.com/cwwac4KtwZ
He said: "We will not be going into any detail on those arrangements here. Safe to say that, as has previously been stated, the duke and duchess have paid for the expenditure incurred by the Sovereign Grant in relation to the renovation of Frogmore Cottage, thus leaving the Crown with a greatly enhanced asset."
The eviction has reportedly left the couple "stunned" and at least two royal family members "appalled". The Sussexes spent £2.4M on renovations on the 19th-century Grade II-listed home before they moved in. But they barely lived in it as their royal duties took them to different countries and then Megxit happened in 2020.
Scobie wrote in "Endgame": Staying mum about Harry's accusations and remaining publicly unconcerned for his son's well-being while ending his family's lease on a safe U.K. residence was not a decisive action by a resolute King; it was a cheap shot from a wounded father bound by an institutional system that is often intolerant of human emotion."
After they vacated the property, there were reports of King Charles III's plan to hand over the keys to the cottage to his brother, Prince Andrew. But Scobie said it was ultimately unsuccessful as the Duke of York, whom the author described as "the true pariah of the clan," refused to leave his Windsor mansion, Royal Lodge.
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex left their royal life behind and the U.K for good for a more peaceful life in their Montecito mansion in Santa Barbara, California in 2020. But they paid advance rent on Frogmore Cottage so they could use it whenever they visit the U.K.
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle considered it the only safe place to stay during visits to the country as it lies on the grounds of Windsor Castle. This means it is covered by the MET's Royalty and Specialist Protection Unit. They have spent many memorable moments at Frogmore Cottage, including Princess Lilibet's first birthday party on June 4, 2022. It is also where they stayed when they attended Queen Elizabeth II's funeral events in September of the same year.
