Queen Elizabeth made 'major sacrifice' to try to appease Prince Harry and Meghan Markle
Queen Elizabeth II with the Duke and Duchess of Sussex
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The late Queen Elizabeth reportedly declined a request to live in the Windsor Estate and instead "politely but firmly suggested" that they live in nearby Frogmore Cottage instead.
The Queen reportedly deemed it "inappropriate" to let the couple live in Windsor Estate which has been the home to the Royal Family for almost 1,000 years.
Prince Philip, the Prince and Princess of Wales, Prince Andrew and his ex-wife Sarah Ferguson are among the most recent residents.
However, Frogmore Cottage was also dear to the Queen, being in her back yard, a place she respected a great deal.
Queen Elizabeth II with the Duke and Duchess of Sussex
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A further claim about the decision to give Prince Harry and his wife the impressive home as a wedding gift was made in royal expert Katie Nicholl's book The New Royals.
Nicholl wrote 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.
She 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 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.'"
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Frogmore Cottage
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The Sussexes could lose Frogmore Cottage too as Prince Andrew needs a new home, with King Charles looking to evict him from his current residence at Royal Lodge.
However, a source close to the couple denied that the pair were shocked by the decision. They told The Times: "It is what it is. They are not fighting it.
"They realise they have a home [in California]. They have a roof over their heads. They were very privileged to have a second residence. It’s not going to work out for them there, and that’s OK."
They added that "the world seems to be more distraught over it than they have been" and the couple accepted that "change was inevitable."
Prince Harry opened up about his eviction from Frogmore Cottage, where he said: "Once upon a time, this was going to be my forever home. Instead, it had proved to be just another brief stop."
The wedding of of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle
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In his book, he also spoke about how much they both loved the property. Harry said: "We loved that place. From the first minute. It felt as if we were destined to live there."
Harry and Meghan have lived in California since 2020 after they quit their jobs as senior royals and chose to move to the US.