Key Points
Royal officials assess plans to subdivide Frogmore Cottage back into separate homes.
Property was converted from five units to one family home in 2018 for £2.4 million.
Harry and Meghan lived there 10 months before moving to California in 2019.
Couple vacated in 2023 and repaid full £2.4 million refurbishment cost.
Royal officials are assessing plans to reverse the £2.4 million renovation of Frogmore Cottage and split it back into separate homes. The Grade II-listed property in Windsor, Berkshire, was converted from five residential units into a single family home in 2018 for Prince Harry and Meghan Markle. The couple lived there only 10 months before moving to California. They vacated the property in 2023 and repaid the full £2.4 million refurbishment cost. No decisions have been made yet, and no building work has started.
What Happened to Frogmore Cottage
Queen Elizabeth II gifted Frogmore Cottage to Harry and Meghan after their May 2018 wedding. The property underwent extensive work that converted five residential units into one family home, costing £2.4 million. The couple lived there for about 10 months before deciding to step back from royal duties and relocate to the United States. In 2023, weeks after Prince Harry published his memoir Spare, they were asked to vacate and remove their remaining possessions.
How the Costs Were Covered
The original £2.4 million refurbishment was funded by the Sovereign Grant, which draws from public funds in exchange for the King’s surrender of Crown Estate revenue. Harry and Meghan repaid the full £2.4 million to cover both the renovation and rental costs after stepping back from royal duties. The couple’s repayment meant no public funds remained at risk for the property’s upkeep.
Plans to Subdivide the Empty Property
Royal officials are now exploring options to ensure future occupancy of the Grade II-listed cottage, which has remained empty since 2023. Assessments are underway to determine if the property could be subdivided back into separate residential units. One option being considered is splitting the cottage back into multiple homes to increase its rental or occupancy potential. No final decisions have been made, and no building work has begun.
Why This Matters for the Property
Frogmore Cottage sits within Windsor Castle’s Home Park and is a Grade II-listed building, meaning any changes require careful planning and approval. Converting the property back to multiple units could make it easier to occupy and maintain. The empty property represents unused royal real estate that officials want to put to productive use.
Final Thoughts
Royal officials are exploring plans to reverse Harry and Meghan’s £2.4 million renovation and subdivide Frogmore Cottage back into separate homes. No decisions have been made yet, but assessments show officials want to find new uses for the Grade II-listed property that has sat empty since 2023.
FAQs
The cottage has been empty since 2023. Officials want to subdivide it back into separate units to make the property easier to rent or occupy.
Yes, they repaid the full £2.4 million covering both refurbishment and rental costs after stepping back from royal duties.
They lived there approximately 10 months after their May 2018 wedding before relocating to California and stepping back from royal duties.
Disclaimer:
The content shared by Meyka AI PTY LTD is solely for research and informational purposes. Meyka is not a financial advisory service, and the information provided should not be considered investment or trading advice.
About Author

Huzaifa Zahoor
Co FounderHuzaifa Zahoor is the engineer who built Meyka. He has spent years writing Python, training AI models, and building data pipelines specifically for financial markets. His technical articles have reached over 30,000 readers on Medium, so he knows how to make complex things easy to follow. If this article touches on how the tools work, he is the person who actually built them.
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