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Queen Elizabeth II gifted Prince Harry and Meghan Markle a couple of homes during their time as working royals and one of those properties was Frogmore Cottage located at Home Park in Windsor. However, reports claim that despite the late monarch‘s generous gift the Duchess of Sussex reportedly wanted to live inside Windsor Castle rather than just on the grounds but the queen “definitively rejected” her idea.

Here’s more on that and what Queen Elizabeth’s friend was quoted as saying about the royal family matriarch giving the Sussexes Frogmore instead.

Meghan Markle on her first engagement with Queen Elizabeth II in Chester, England
Meghan Markle on her first engagement with Queen Elizabeth II in Chester, England | Max Mumby/Indigo/Getty Images

Meghan and Harry wanted a flat inside Windsor but the queen shot down request

According to a report in The Times, although Meghan and Harry moved into Frogmore before stepping down as senior royals they “initially had higher hopes.” Meghan reportedly had her heart set on living in Windsor Castle so she andd Harry “asked the queen if living quarters could be made available after their marriage.”

However, the monarch denied their request deeming it “inappropriate.” After the queen definitively rejected it she “politely but firmly suggested” that they live in Frogmore Cottage instead.

A view looking down the long walk to Windsor Castle
A view looking down the long walk to Windsor Castle | Tim Graham Photo Library via Getty Images

The queen’s friend said giving the Sussexes Frogmore cottage was a ‘big deal’

In her book The New Royals: Queen Elizabeth’s Legacy and the Future of the Crown, royal correspondent Katie Nicholl discussed Queen Elizabeth’s decision to give Meghan and Harry Frogmore as a wedding gift. Express noted that Nicholl spoke to Lady Elizabeth Anson who died in 2020 and was a friend of the late monarch.

Nicholl quoted Lady Elizabeth 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 backyard, 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.’”

The cottage is also a 15-minute walk from the Waleses’ Adelaide Cottage. Meghan and Harry eventually moved into Frogmore and had the property renovated for around $3 million, which they paid back after moving to America.

A view of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's Frogmore Cottage home
A view of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s Frogmore Cottage home | Steve Parsons/PA Images via Getty Images
Related

There’s 1 Employee Queen Elizabeth II Promised Could Continue to Live at Windsor After Her Death

The duke and duchess now reside in a ‘chateau’

Today, Meghan and Harry reside in California’s Santa Barbara County and live in an estate that’s even larger than the Windsor Park home Queen Elizabeth gave them.

Their sprawling Montecito mansion, nicknamed “The Chateau,” sits on more than five acres of land. And the house itself is a whopping 18,000 square feet with 16 bathrooms and nine bedrooms.

As for who will be the royal occupants of Windsor Castle following the queen’s death, the new Prince and Princess of Wales are expected to take up residence there at some point.

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