prince harry meghan canada house© Photo: Getty Images

How Prince Harry and Meghan's rental contract is a 'good deal' for taxpayer

The Sussexes returned to their UK home in June

Lifestyle Features Editor
June 30, 2022

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex have received support from the palace over their rental contract at their UK home, Frogmore Cottage, which has been described as a "good deal" for the taxpayer.

MORE: Inside Prince Harry and Meghan's £11million Montecito mansion

Prince Harry and Meghan paid £2.4million to cover the refurbishment and rental of their Windsor home, and recently renewed the lease, suggesting they intend to spend more time there with their two children, Archie and Lilibet, in the future.

WATCH: Take a look inside the royal residences

Speaking about the contract, a senior royal source said the rent "has been calculated by reference to market valuations for a property of that nature."

RELATED: 6 incredible features Prince Harry and Meghan's new home has that Frogmore Cottage doesn't

The National Audit Office and the Treasure were satisfied with the way the transaction had been accounted for and the "commercial return" for the Sovereign Grant, the source revealed, adding: "I can be confident in saying that this is a good deal for the Sovereign Grant and the taxpayer alike."

© Photo: Getty Images

Prince Harry and Meghan's rental agreement has been described as a 'good deal' for the taxpayer

While they may have only visited their home once in the two years since their relocation to California, Prince Harry and Meghan continue to fund the general upkeep of their former home, like maintaining the garden, with the Sovereign Grant, the funding system for the monarchy and royal building works, effectively acting as the "landlord", undertaking major works like a normal tenant-landlord relationship.

MORE: Take a peek inside Frogmore Cottage

The Grade-II listed property is owned by the Crown Estate and was a gift to Harry and Meghan from the Queen. It underwent significant work to convert it from five properties into a single residence at a cost of £2.4million, which has since been paid by the Duke and Duchess.

© Photo: Rex

The couple returned to Frogmore Cottage earlier this month

While the couple left the property after just a few months when they stepped back from royal duties and relocated to the US, they have allowed Princess Eugenie to live there with her husband Jack Brooksbank and their son August over the past year.

The family are now believed to have moved out of the home, and are dividing their time between Portugal and Nottingham Cottage at Kensington Palace, which was also once home to Prince Harry and Meghan.

Make sure you never miss a ROYAL story! Sign up to our newsletter to get all of our celebrity and royal news delivered directly to your inbox.

Sign up to HELLO Daily! for the best royal, celebrity and lifestyle coverage.

Email Address

By entering your details, you are agreeing to HELLO! Magazine User Data Protection Policy. You can unsubscribe at any time. For more information, please click here.

More Homes

See more