Expert calls Prince Harry's Frogmore Cottage eviction 'economical decision'

A royal expert defended King Charles III's decision to evict Prince Harry and Meghan Markle from Frogmore Cottage, calling it a decision made for familial and economical reasons.

TV commentator Shannon Felton Spence said His Majesty chose to have the Sussexes vacate the home they hardly lived in because he wants to create a safe space for them whenever they visit the U.K. The couple now resides in their Montecito Mansion in Santa Barbara, California with their children Archie, 3, and Lilibet, 1.

She told Fox News Digital that the monarch wants to be able to see his grandchildren and believes letting the family stay in Buckingham Palace is a far better option. She called it "unrealistic to think that the king was ever going to make them book a hotel or an Airbnb" and that "realistically, he wants to see his grandchildren. When they come to visit it will most likely only ever be for big royal family events."

Spence also does not believe that King Charles III wants Prince Harry, Meghan Markle, and their children to stay at Buckingham Palace so he can monitor them. It would reportedly be difficult given that the palace has 775 rooms.

She explained, "This is an economical decision. [But] no one likes living at Buckingham Palace. They all want to be in Windsor. It's less fish bowly and less opulent. Buckingham Palace is not a family home. It's an office. The king doesn't have to worry about Buckingham Palace just sitting empty as he does with other properties. Buckingham Palace is always going to be maintained, it's always going to have staff. It's a very economical choice to say, 'Hey when you visit, you can stay here.'"

Spence noted, "Buckingham Palace comes with its own set of rules, in a way that Frogmore Cottage or anything else would not. It's not to keep an eye on them as much as it just is to keep them close."

A spokesperson for Prince Harry and Meghan Markle confirmed that they have been asked to vacate Frogmore Cottage and only have until after the King's coronation on May 6 to pack all their belongings and move them to California.

The decision has reportedly left the couple "stunned" and at least two royal family members "appalled." The Sussexes barely lived at the 19th-century Grade II-listed home, for which they spent £2.4M on renovations before they moved in. They have also paid advance rent on the property so they can use it for the foreseeable future.

Frogmore Cottage is their safe haven whenever they visit the U.K. for royal events given that it lies on the grounds of Windsor Castle. This means the house is covered by the Met's Royalty and Specialist Protection Unit. They stayed there during Queen Elizabeth II's Platinum Jubilee celebrations and her funeral and held a picnic there on Lilibet's first birthday. The cottage will go to Prince Andrew because the monarch has reportedly also asked him to vacate the 30-room Royal Lodge, where he currently lives with his ex-wife Sarah Ferguson.

His Majesty's decision to evict the Sussexes from Frogmore Cottage comes following the release of the duke's memoir "Spare" on Jan. 6. In it, he shared some damaging revelations about members of the family including his own father, Prince William, Kate Middleton, and stepmother Queen Consort Camilla.

Despite the criticism, King Charles III still invited Prince Harry and Meghan Markle to his coronation. A spokesperson for the couple confirmed that the duke received an email invite. But they have yet to confirm if they will attend the ceremony or not given that the day also falls on Archie's fourth birthday. His Majesty will be crowned alongside Camilla by the Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby in London's Westminster Abbey.