Windsor Castle has been part of the Royal Family for almost 1,000 years. Several members of the family have resided in the large estate including the late Queen and Prince Philip, the Prince and Princess of Wales, Andrew and his ex-wife Sarah Ferguson.
The estate contains a number of properties, including huge mansions and smaller cottages, all of which were gifted to members of the royal family by the Queen herself, writes The Mirror.
Frogmore Cottage was the building she gifted to Prince Harry and Meghan Markle after they tied the knot back in 2018. Although, according to reports, the then newly weds requested a different property on the site, but the Queen deemed it "inappropriate" and "firmly" rejected it.
According to The Times, The Duke and Duchess of Sussex desired to live within the Castle itself and reportedly asked if "living quarters could be made available after their marriage". At the time, only the Queen and Philip had private apartments within the actual castle, with everyone else living elsewhere on the estate.
Despite saying no to their request, the Queen "politely but firmly suggested" that they live in nearby Frogmore Cottage instead. Another claim about the late Queen's decision to gift the couple the impressive home as a wedding gift was made in royal expert Katie's Nicholl's book The New Royals.
Nicholl said in her book that the late Lady Elizabeth Anson, who died in 2020, said the Queen described the Windsor home as a "big deal" and shared her hopes that Harry and Meghan would "respect" her generosity.
Lady Elizabeth is quoted as saying: "The cottage was a big deal. The Queen's entrance into the gardens is right next to their cottage. It is essentially her back yard, her solitude, and her privacy.
"She was giving that up in gifting Harry and Meghan Frogmore Cottage. We all thought it was very big of her. She said, 'I hope they'll respect it.'"
However, before Meghan and Harry were given Frogmore, a number of different properties in Windsor were reportedly put forward as possible residences for the couple.
Adelaide Cottage was one, which is now the home of The Prince and Princess of Wales and their children. Prince William and Kate relocated from London to the four-bed home in Windsor at the end of the summer with their three children, Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis.
Adelaide Cottage was built in 1831 as a retreat for William IV’s wife Queen Adelaide. It was also known to be a favourite home of Queen Victoria as she frequently enjoyed taking her breakfast there however, one of the most famous former residents was Princess Margaret's love interest, Group Captain Peter Townsend.
Townsend embarked on a famous love affair with Princess Margaret and their relationship was particularly sordid as Peter was a divorced man who was 16 years older than her.
In 2015, Adelaide Cottage underwent a huge makeover and has some seriously elaborate decorations. According to reports, the master bedroom at the cottage has a ceiling covered with gilded dolphins and a rope decoration.
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