Frogmore Cottage: Where Prince Harry and Meghan Markle will reportedly raise their family

As a couple, Meghan Markle and Prince Harry have been a sensation since the moment the world learned of their union. Today, as a married couple expanding their family for the first time, they have officially moved into their own family home – Frogmore Cottage. Leading up to the birth of their first child, Meghan and Harry had been living in London but knew that they wanted to move out of the city and the hustle and bustle of it all and to the more subdued country lifestyle that fits new parents. From the moment Meghan joined the royal family, she has had to make drastic shifts in her lifestyle and take on responsibilities and roles that she would otherwise not have taken on as a Hollywood actress. Whatever has been thrown her way she has not only taken responsibility for but has mastered. Their new home and lifestyle is just a new phase for this beautiful couple, that represent love, history, and the coming together of countries and perspectives. We can’t wait to see their lives unfold and their new home!

Making the decision

Prior to moving to Frogmore Cottage, the couple lived in Nottingham Cottage, which is a part of the Kensington Estate. Harry lived at Nottingham Cottage for many years and it was known as his bachelor pad for a while. When the couple married, there were minor renovations done to make it fit for a lady, but it was always known that the couple would move somewhere larger and more remote.

They had a few options to choose from, but Frogmore won them over.

Official

At the end of 2018, Harry and Meghan made an official announcement that they will be moving to Frogmore Cottage as they transition into their new phase of life – parenting. It would take the time from the announcement to move-in for the cottage to be properly renovated for the new family. Frogmore sits at Windsor, which surprised many as everyone thought that they would stay at Kensington being so central.

The several million-pound renovation project has been completed and the couple has officially moved into their new home just in time to welcome their new bundle of joy.

Emotional link

One of the reasons they wanted to move into Frogmore and be on the Windsor property had also to do with the fact that that is where the couple had their lavish wedding reception in May of 2018. It is said that the structure where the reception took place can be seen from their very window, so they are living with a constant reminder of the wonderful day they got married.

When their little one is old enough, they will be able to tell the tale of their wedding day and show the exact location they spent it in.

The renovation

As was expected, there needed to be a lot of renovation done to the cottage prior to the royal couple’s move in date. Prior to the renovation, the space in question was divided into several living quarters for the staff that lived on the property. When the Duke and Duchess decided Frogmore would be called home, they hired Vicky Charles, a designer who has worked with George Clooney and Victoria Beckham.

She was appointed to transform Frogmore into the home they want for their new family and is deserving of the status of new royal home to the Duke and Duchess of Sussex.

Going green

Frogmore Cottage was built long ago and therefore was not up to standard in terms of its ecological status. One of the biggest undertakings was the transformation of the cottage into an eco-friendly estate. In order to do that, they installed a $65,000 green energy unit that will be the source for their heat, hot water, and electricity.

The couple also used organic paint in their baby’s room to make sure that everything in the home was to the highest standard. Meghan and Harry are very ecologically conscious and therefore wanted their home to reflect that as much as possible.

Yoga space

As an avid practicer of yoga, Meghan has added a yoga studio to Frogmore Cottage. There is plenty of space on the property for whatever kind of active studio they would want – yoga was the winner. Meghan has been spotted throughout the years with her yoga mat in hand, walking with her mother Gloria to a nearby class.

Maintaining a healthy lifestyle is very important to her and Harry so this is the perfect addition to their home.

Not forever

Frogmore is said not to be the couple’s forever home. The couple will probably stay there for the next few years as they grow their family but they are said to be looking at homes much farther into the English countryside as the home they will share for their lives.

The home in question is a place the couple has already stayed, but they need to work their way up to that estate, it seems.

Perfect option

The perfect place that Meghan and Harry want to live out their days? That would be a property in the Cotswolds. The couple has a vacation estate there now which they rent but have maintained that they love the fact that there is so much space out there, privacy and can see themselves raising a larger family out there given the chance to do so.

The Cotswolds have been a vacation destination for years, and they are about to get a whole lot fancier.

Taxpayers money

The cottage refurbishment has caused a recent stir due to its extravagant costs. The British taxpayers are the ones that mostly fund the Royal family and when reports came out that the makeover had cost a whopping £2.4 million, it’s safe to say that a lot of people were very annoyed by this.

However now, the costs are set to rise even more to £3million! It seems that turning five houses into one giant home is rather costly.

Quiet upbringing

One of the major reasons the couple love the Cotswolds is because of the distance from London and the prying eye of photographers, something Harry knows all too well having dealt with the aftermath of his mother’s death and the paparazzi chases the ensued.

Meghan and Harry want to raise their children as much as they can out of the public eye, giving them a normal upbringing that would be just like the other children around them.

Famous neighbors

If they would move to the Cotswolds, Meghan and Harry would be close to their friends David and Victoria Beckham, who have property out there as well. It is said that the two couples like to see each other as often as they can. Frogmore, where they will be living now, is not as close to their famous friends.

They will have the Queen close by as she calls that estate home too for much of the year.

Fast move

Consider the fact that just a few years back, Meghan was living in Hollywood, working as an actress on Suits and had no boundaries to her lifestyle. Fast forward to meeting and falling in love with a royal prince and deciding to give it all up in order to follow her heart.

Meghan is good with change and has had the lifestyle that made her ready to move her whole life. Moving from London to Frogmore Cottage is just another move.

Royal family opinion

While Meghan’s family is far away and used to her being across the ocean, Harry’s family is very much used to him living in London and were not as keen about the news that he and Meghan will be moving out of the city.

It has been said that Harry is very much looking forward to the quieter life away from the city as he has had plenty of time to enjoy it and is looking for something else.

Modesty

The other royal children and cousins have grown up around the city and have been given special care since birth. While there will always be a minimum amount that they will have for their security, Harry and Meghan always said that they would want to raise their children as normally as possible. What that means is using local transit and keeping up on their chores at home (which they will get).

The most important bit would be that they would be out of the paparazzi eye.

Seperation

Another important reason Harry and Meghan want to move to Frogmore and not remain in London has a lot to do with the desire to separate from the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge. Putting rumors and feud rumors aside, Harry wanted his own path separate from William’s.

The Sussex couple wants to have their own space in their own area without the constant comparison and connectivity to the rest of the family, especially as new parents.

Queen’s halt

Harry and Meghan asked for complete independence while living at Frogmore Cottage. While they got permission to move and renovate the space, the Queen drew the line at total independence. The two like to get what they want but the Queen vetoed their request as that is not how it is done within the royal family.

Whether they like it or not, they are indeed a part of the royal family. Interesting to think about how Meghan took that one.

Personnel changes

Since their wedding, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex have seen many of their staff members change. There are those who decided to end their employment on their own, others were relieved of their duties and all the while there was gossip about it in the local tabloids.

The change is far more likely to do with the way Meghan wanted her household run and noting the need for more people with their new home.

Royal gift

As a welcome home gift to their new home in Frogmore Cottage, Meghan and Harry received a few pieces of art thanks to his grandmother the Queen. She gifted them pieces from the revered Royal Art Collection.

The Queen told the couple that they can choose what they want from a list, which she did the very same with William and Kate when they moved into their first home together after their wedding.

Uncomfortable moments

It looks as though Prince Harry and Meghan will have a gorgeous home but for Meghan, she has already had one too many awkward moments. As most of us know, once Queen Elizabeth, who has sat on the throne for an incredible 65 years steps down, it will mean that her son Charles will become King.

In turn, this will lead to Prince William and Kate Middleton becoming the rulers of England one day in the future. Meghan and Kate now have to make many appearances together and when they arrived at a public question and answer session, onlookers commented that you could have cut the tension between the pair with a knife.

Announcment

They finally officially announced their engagement after rumors circulated around the world at high speed and people were overjoyed. Addressing the world via the Kensington Palace social media platforms, royal staff posted a photo of Meghan and Prince Harry in a sweet snap.

However, despite many being excited, there were some who felt Meghan’s choice of outfit was not very Royal at all. Sheer is not an option the Queen nor any other member of the Royal family would wear.

Tight Problem

Now that Meghan is an official member of the Royal family, following her star-studded wedding to Prince Harry on 19 May 2018, where they said their “I do’s” at Windsor Castle in St George’s Chapel, it means she now has to follow many Royal rules.

One particular rule is that Royal’s must have their legs covered, and most will choose to do this by wearing skin colored tights. Meghan had everyone talking when she showed up to Prince Charles’ 70th birthday is tights that were way to light for her. She hasn’t been seen in the since.

Is That Meghan Markle?

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle were introduced to each other via a mutual friend and got set up to go on a blind date. Luckily for them, their friend obviously knew them both very well as it resulted in a wedding as well as a baby, who will soon be here.

Before they met, Meghan was working as a full-time actress in America and on her way to the top, she had to do many scenes and photo shoots that are not very Royal at all. This one may have been hard for the Queen to follow.

What’s Your Name Again?

The Royal Ascot is a horse racing event that the Royal family have always attended, and it is one of their important traditions. Usually, in June, the race sees some of the most elite people gather together and bet millions of pounds on the horse who they think will win the race.

To avoid people feeling awkward when they meet each other, everyone is made to wear a nametag, however for some reason, when Meghan attended, she refused to wear one. This ruffled a few feathers as the only person that is allowed to avoid the name tag situation is the Queen!

Sleeves Please

Meghan Markle is now in a great situation for her love of fashion as she has designers wanting to dress her for every one of her public appearances, but it is important that Meghan is familiar with the new Royal rules that she has to follow.

It is common knowledge that members of the Royal family are meant to wear sleeves and when Meghan arrived to meet the Commonwealth delegates, who outfit caused quite a stir with an etiquette expert saying, “They don’t usually wear sleeveless dresses.”

No Black Or White

In English tradition, when one attends a wedding, they will most likely opt for a bright color, and if choosing a darker shade, they simply will not choose anything darker then navy blue. It is an unwritten rule at weddings that the dress code is “No black and white.”

Meghan attending a wedding alongside Prince Harry wearing a black dress with white stitch detail as well as a white jacket. This was a major rule breaker.

It’s The Queen

Despite the fact that the world wants them to be the best of friends, again and again, pictures have shown obvious tension between Kate Middleton and Meghan Markle. Perhaps Kate wishes Meghan would follow the correct protocol as she always had to in the beginning.

She looked as though she was having a stern word with Meghan here at the Queen’s birthday celebration. Maybe she was telling her that an off-the-shoulder number is not the most appropriate when in the Queen’s company.