Why Prince Harry and Meghan Markle were cleared from paying rent on Frogmore Cottage

Royal rents are under the spotlight with an ongoing Public Accounts Committee investigation into the Crown Estate’s arrangements with royal family members, following the furore regarding Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor’s "peppercorn rent". When Prince Harry and Meghan Markle lived at Frogmore Cottage in the UK, there was a special agreement made between them and the Crown Estate to get them off the hook for certain rental payments. All the details…

At the time of living there, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex paid a "commercial rent" to the Crown Estate, similar to how Prince William and Princess Kate pay a "market rent" on their Forest Lodge property. But for the Sussexes, this arrangement changed.

Once they decided to step down as senior royals in 2020, the couple were forced to prepay the £2.4 million renovation costs to the Sovereign Grant, and once this was squared, their rent was also wiped. It is believed the renovations added value to the home, and this was taken into consideration as "rent in lieu". They continued to use it as their UK base until 2023, when they finally handed back the keys.

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Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s fond memories

The UK base was where Harry and Meghan first became parents, and they raised their son Archie there for the first few months of his life. In their joint Netflix docuseries, glimpses into the home were revealed, including adorable family moments like bathtime with Archie.

The Duke has also opened up about his adoration for the residence in his very personal memoir, Spare. He penned: "Meg and I moved our office into Buckingham Palace. We also moved into a new home. Frogmore was ready. We loved that place. From the first minute. It felt as if we were destined to live there," he said. "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. 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."

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Do Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have a UK base now?

No. The Sussexes do not have a permanent UK base. Instead, when Prince Harry has visited the UK for various reasons such as the King’s Coronation or his High Court appearances, he stays incognito at residences like luxury hotels and even Althorp House, his late mother’s former childhood home. The family now live in Montecito, with an impressive estate to call home.