Prince Harry and Meghan Markle received Frogmore Cottage—a historic estate located in Windsor, which, unsurprisingly, is a stronghold of the Windsors—as a wedding gift from Queen Elizabeth II. It was there that they took a break from their lives as royals and raised their first child, Archie, born in May 2019. They stayed there for less than two years; the Sussexes left the estate on the day they stepped down from their official duties and departed England altogether to settle in the United States.
The couple kept Frogmore—which they renovated themselves—as a base in the United Kingdom, but they were “asked to leave” in 2023, shortly after the release of Prince Harry’s memoir, Spare, which was critical of the Crown. So on each of Prince Harry’s (rare) returns to the UK, the same question kept coming up: Where would he stay? Often, he would choose to enjoy the privacy of a close friend’s home, but he did agree—at least initially—to stay at a royal residence for his visit this July. A dispute about the Sussexes’ security changed that arrangement, and the prince, for at least part of his visit, instead stayed at Althorp, the childhood home of his mother, Princess Diana.
The Holiday
Six years after their dramatic departure, the Sussexes are reportedly set to return in the coming days for an “extended stay.” With Frogmore Cottage off the table, the couple had to scour the English countryside to find a new home (London was most likely out of the question). Last week The Sun reported that the couple had found a hidden gem in the Cotswolds, a charming area located west of the capital. Bordering Oxfordshire and Gloucestershire, its bucolic charm, gray-stone houses, lush green fields, and tranquility are beloved by many celebrities: Ellen DeGeneres, who also left her native America, lives there with her wife, Portia de Rossi. The Beckhams, Kate Moss, and Stella McCartney also own properties there.
The Cotswolds could be an appealing compromise for the Sussexes, who are reportedly eager to move closer to the king. Highgrove House, the nearby country home of King Charles III, served as the setting for their private reunion last July. It’s a perfect compromise: Harry and Meghan will be closer to the king while remaining at a safe distance from the rest of the royal family, particularly Prince William and Kate Middleton, who reside at Forest Lodge on the grounds of Windsor Castle. Relations between the two couples have been tense since the release of Spare.
