Harry and Meghan have been kicked out of UK home by King Charles

The British Royal Family soap opera continues. 

In the latest, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle confirmed that King Charles III has asked them to vacate the 18th-century Frogmore cottage in the UK, their only base in the country till now. Reportedly, the King asked the couple to vacate the premises in January soon after Prince Harry's controversial tell-all memoir Spare. 

What the royal politics: 

• The developments seem to signal further rift between Prince Harry and his royal family. 
• The confirmation which comes ahead of King Charles III's coronation ceremony has cast doubts on whether the couple will be invited to the event. 
• Furthermore, reports say that Frogmore cottage has now been offered to the King's rape and pedophilia-accused brother, Prince Andrew. However, Prince Andrew is yet to accept the offer. 
• Reports also say that King Charles is planning to cut Prince Andrew's annual grant which is likely to make it difficult for him to pay for the maintenance of the much larger Royal Lodge in Windsor Great Park, his current residence.  

How important is Frogmore cottage to Harry and Meghan?

• Frogmore cottage on the grounds of the Windsor estate was a gift from the late Queen Elizabeth II to Prince Harry and his wife when they got married. 
• The couple spent some £2.4 million in 2018-19 for its renovation. Though earlier it was paid for by UK taxpayers through the Sovereign Grant, later the Duke of Sussex repaid it in full.
• The couple also paid a "large sum" to the Crown Estate towards rent for several years, Omid Scobie, British journalist covering the Royal Family reported. 
• Scobie also says that when starting the renovations in 2018, Harry and Meghan viewed the cottage as their "forever home". 

Security:

• Most importantly, Scobie points out that without the Frogmore cottage, the Sussexes don't have any residence left in the UK. 
• Moreover, without the Frogmore cottage, the Sussexes face a security nightmare if they plan to visit the UK. 
• The cottage, being on the grounds of the Windsor estate, is surrounded by the Metropolitan Police-led ring of security. 
• The royal protection officers around the cottage offered a level of security that is deemed necessary for members of the Royal family. 
• Given that Prince Harry and Meghan's police protection was stripped off after they left their royal duties, the cottage offered a high-security place of residence in the UK, that their private security cannot match, Scobie reports. 

How much is the security cost of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle?

 

 

 

 

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It is often said that Prince Harry inherited a security risk by being born into the British Royal Family, which will not vanish just by them stepping back from their duties. 

In 2021, Forbes estimated the security cover for Harry and Markle could cost about $3 million per year. 

Currently, Prince Harry is challenging the Home Office's decision to not give him police protection in the UK, even if he paid for it. This is because the Metropolitan Police responsible for the royal's security are privy to essential intelligence deemed necessary.

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's wealth:

• The British Royal Family have been a laughing stock for their unemployment in the general sense.  
• So, when Prince Harry and his former actress wife decided to step back from royal duties and become financially independent, their source of income and worth was much debated. 
• Prince Harry is said to have received at least $10 million in inheritance from his mother the late Princess Diana. He's said that he used this inheritance to fund his move to the US after being cut off by his father's purse. 
• It is unclear if Harry was left any inheritance by the late Queen. 
• Other than their inheritance, Prince Harry and Meghan's Netflix, spotify, memoir and other deals are worth to be at least $140 million.
• Their home in California is estimated to be a little over $14 million. 
• Meghan Markle also has a sufficient amount of wealth from her acting career. For the Suits, she was reportedly paid $50,000 per episode and she appeared in 100 episodes.