Everything to Know About Meghan & Harry's New Home, Frogmore Cottage
Kensington Palace has announced that Meghan Markle and Prince Harry will be moving out of Nottingham Cottage and taking up residence in Frogmore Cottage on the Windsor Estate.
It was previously rumored that Meghan and Harry would move into the 21-bedroom Kensington Palace apartment next door to Kate Middleton and Prince William.
Meghan and Harry will no longer keep a London residence, instead making Frogmore Cottage their full-time home. It's thought that the Duke and Duchess of Sussex hope to be moved in by the time their first baby arrives in Spring 2019.
After months of rumors regarding where Meghan Markle and Prince Harry will live once their baby arrives next year, Kensington Palace finally revealed the couple's true plans.
In an official statement, it was announced that Meghan and Harry won't be taking up residence in the apartment next door to Kate Middleton and Prince William. Instead, when they leave the two-bedroom Nottingham Cottage on the Kensington Palace estate, they will be moving into Frogmore Cottage, on the Windsor Estate.
Here's everything we know so far about Harry and Meghan's new home, Frogmore Cottage:
The ten-bedroom property is currently being renovated for the Duke and Duchess.
Royal reporter Emily Andrews broke news of the move on Twitter explaining that Frogmore Cottage is "within the private Home Park and faces the beautiful grounds of Frogmore House. It’s where they had their private evening wedding party & where their gorgeous engagement pictures were shot." Meanwhile, ITV describes the cottage as "a Grade II listed two-storey, stucco-faced house sitting in the north of the Frogmore Estate on the Windsor Estate."
But the cottage itself is in need of repair and has recently been used to house members of the royal staff, per The Telegraph. According to the publication, the property is currently "divided into five units," but it will now undergo a serious renovation to adequately turn it "into a family home with modern amenities," which will reportedly include a spa, a yoga studio, and a nursery.
The Telegraph also notes that security concerns will need to be addressed ahead of the move, as the cottage was previously very easy to access by members of the general public.
A number of royals are buried on the estate.
While Britain's monarchs are usually buried in Westminster Abbey, Queen Victoria chose Frogmore as her resting place, as she'd built an Italian Romanesque mausoleum there for her late husband. From Queen Victoria and Prince Albert's Mausoleum, to the Royal Burial Ground, where King Edward VIII and Wallis Simpson are buried, Frogmore is an important location for the royal family, steeped in history.
It's been inhabited by many members of the royal family.
Queen Victoria's mother, the Duchess of Kent, was once a resident of Frogmore Cottage, per ITV. And according to The Telegraph, Frogmore was built between the years of 1680 and 1684, and was designed by Hugh May, who was Charles II's architect.
It got its name due to the number of frogs on the grounds.
Per ITV, Frogmore's name is apparently thanks to "the high number of frogs which live in the low-lying marshy area, which is set within a long sweeping curve of the River Thames." So Harry and Meghan could find themselves with a few unwanted visitors.
Frogmore holds a special significance for the Duke and Duchess of Sussex.
Kensington Palace explained in its official statement regarding the move (via ITV's royal correspondent Lizzie Robinson), "Windsor is a very special place for Their Royal Highnesses and they are grateful that their official residence will be on the estate. The Duke and Duchess’s official office will continue to be based at Kensington Palace."
The reason it's so special is, of course, because Harry and Meghan's royal wedding took place at Windsor Castle, and was followed by a reception hosted by Prince Charles at Frogmore House. By moving onto the same estate, Meghan and Harry will be able to reminisce about their magical wedding every day.
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