Prince Harry's awkward mistake after late Queen gifted him Frogmore Cottage

It's been exactly a year since Prince Harry and Meghan Markle had to hand back the keys to their Frogmore Cottage home.

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex were gifted the royal cottage by the late Queen as a wedding present in 2018, but they made a huge blunder when taking up the offer, according to an expert.

The couple were evicted by King Charles after they stepped down from the Royal Family. Now it appears the monarch wants the disgraced Prince Andrew to take up residence in the property, as the two are at loggerheads over his current abode, Royal Lodge.

The Sussexes gleefully accepted the late Queen's gift at the time - but they've been dubbed "out of touch" for thinking they would always have the keys to the luxury cottage.

Royal author Tom Quinn said the assumption "speaks volumes" - and would have only added to the Duke's 'hurt' over his father's decision.

frogmore cottage

Speaking exclusively to The Mirror, he explained: "Harry and Meghan imagined Frogmore would always be there for them even if they came back to the UK for just a few weeks each year and even if they were no longer working royals.

The eviction process started in January 2023, a day after the bombshell memoir Spare was released. The King started the proceedings for The Duke and Duchess to leave however their move was then backdated and Harry and Meghan moved out officially on June 29, 2023. Tom said this date is "significant" to Harry, and showed he was deeply affected by the King's decision to evict the Sussexes.

The author explained: "At the time, few people realised what a slap in the face the eviction from Frogmore felt like for Harry – it was the last straw. Harry was absolutely furious and in tears about being evicted from Frogmore - he felt his father had no right to do it and that it was purely vindictive.

"Harry couldn't see that choosing to stop being a working royal would inevitably mean being deprived of his royal residence. Harry took it as a cruel rejection – a painful reminder of all that he felt when his father fought with his mother during their long drawn out, painful divorce." Tom concluded: "For many Harry is just a poor little rich kid behaving like a spoiled brat, but Harry sees himself as the eternal victim."

Frogmore Cottage is a five-bedroomed home, just a stone's throw from where Prince William and Princess Kate live and is located on the grounds of Windsor Castle. It was renovated in 2019, costing the taxpayer a cool £2.4 million, but Harry and Meghan agreed to pay back the money for the refurbishments when they gave up their royal titles and moved to the US.

The Sun reports that after the couple moved to the States, they handed the keys to Princess Eugenie and Jack Brooksbank in November 2020. But they then moved out six months later to Nottingham Cottage, on the grounds of Kensington Palace.

Do you have a story to share? Email [email protected]