Prince Harry, Meghan Markle repay £2.4m for Frogmore Cottage renovation

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have returned the £2. 4million spent on the renovation of their United Kingdom home Frogmore Cottage, just months after purchasing an £11 million mansion in the upscale Montecito neighbourhood in Santa Barbara.

When Prince Harry and Meghan Markle announced their decision to step back as senior members of the British royal family in January, they also said that they would be splitting their time in the UK and America. The couple stated that the Frogmore Cottage in Windsor, which had undergone massive renovations with British taxpayers' money just a few months ago, will continue to be their residence in England.

A statement they issued at the time read, "Frogmore Cottage will continue to be the property of Her Majesty the Queen. The Duke and Duchess of Sussex will continue to use Frogmore Cottage – with the permission of Her Majesty The Queen – as their official residence as they continue to support the Monarchy, and so that their family will always have a place to call home in the United Kingdom."

However, since the couple was planning to become financially independent and was not entitled to the British monarchy's sovereign grant, they had to repay the 2.4 million pounds which were spent by the royal court in 2019 in the transformation of the Grade II-listed property from five separate apartments to a single-family home. Buckingham Palace stated about the compensation: "The Duke and Duchess of Sussex have shared their wish to repay Sovereign Grant expenditure for the refurbishment of Frogmore Cottage, which will remain their UK family home."

At the time, the couple had stated that they had privately funded the expenses related to fixtures, furnishings, and fittings at the residence, noting that the queen funding the refurbishment of the building reflected "the Monarchy's responsibility to maintain the upkeep of buildings with historical significance." However, they have now returned the money to the sovereign grant months after their exit, as confirmed by their spokesperson in a statement on Monday, reports Hello! magazine.

"A contribution has been made to the Sovereign Grant by The Duke of Sussex. This contribution, as originally offered by Prince Harry, has fully covered the necessary renovation costs of Frogmore Cottage, a property of Her Majesty The Queen, and will remain the UK residence of The Duke and his family."

The payment comes just days after the Duke and the Duchess of Sussex announced their $150 million deal with streaming giant Netflix under which they will be producing documentaries, docu-series, feature films, scripted shows, and children's programs.

The deal came amid rumours that the former American actress is considering a return to Hollywood. Meanwhile, Jonathan Shalit, a celebrity agent, has claimed that the "Suits" alum could even run for the United States president one day.

In a conversation with the Sunday Telegraph, Shalit said that the 39-year-old is eligible to run for the Oval office as she was born in the United States, claiming that it's "not beyond the realm of possibility". He also noted that he has "never heard" the duchess expressing any desire to become the POTUS, but compared her to fellow actor Ronald Reagan, who was in the White House from 1981 to 1989.

"She's American-born, she has every right to run for president. Ronald Reagan was a B-list actor who ended up in the White House. Never say never," Shalit told the outlet.

"The UK has a love-hate relationship with the Sussexes, but it's different in the States," he added.