Why William & Kate Didn’t Want Frogmore Cottage, The Home Harry & Meghan Loved

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William, Prince of Wales, and Catherine, Princess of Wales have reportedly been looking for a new living space for their family of five. They have made it quite clear, however, that Frogmore Cottage — the former quarters of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle — will not be where they land. And it appears that it may be because of a spacing issue as well as renovations done by its previous occupants.

The royal couple currently reside in the 19th-century Adelaide Cottage, which is a brief 10-minute walk from the cozy Frogmore estate that housed Prince Harry and Meghan Markle until 2020, when they split for California. Now, it is undetermined as to who will occupy Frogmore Cottage, since it has been sitting empty after Harry and Meghan were evicted from the home. King Charles II has made efforts to push Prince Andrew into Frogmore, to free up the enormous Royal Lodge in Windsor, where the disgraced duke and his ex-wife, Sarah Ferguson, currently reside. So, as of this writing, no one yet has claimed official residence in the estate that Meghan and Harry once adored.

Why did William and Kate refuse to live in Frogmore Cottage?

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The Prince and Princess of Wales are searching for something that Frogmore Cottage doesn’t seem to fit. While the royal duo raise their three children between Adelaide Cottage and Anmer Hall in Norfolk, they are said to be looking for an additional place for their family. So, why not the Frogmore Cottage? Simply put, the Waleses said the estate was “too small” for their family. However, GBN broadcaster Anne Diamond claimed that the future king and queen’s opposition may also have something to do with the renovations of the home being executed by Meghan. “It’s a huge place,” Diamond said, (via The Royal Observer).”But if it was redone by Meghan and Harry, I can’t imagine Kate wanting to move into a place that was designed and redone by Meghan, and not William either.”

According to a family source, the family’s need for additional space may come down to an addition to Adelaide Cottage. The source told The Royal Observer that William and Kate “absolutely adore” their Adelaide estate, but it “just about fits the entire family.” They added that Adelaide Cottage serves as the family’s “term-time property while the children are at school nearby.” Plans for an addition reportedly include the restoration of a “rundown brick annex” close to the cottage.

Meghan and Harry’s dream life at Frogmore Cottage

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Meghan Markle and Prince Harry didn’t feel the same way that the Prince and Princess of Wales do about Frogmore. The Duke and Duchess of Sussex spent their first moments of marriage in Frogmore Cottage after being gifted the small estate in 2018 by the late Queen Elizabeth II. In Harry’s memoir, “Spare,” he recounts the quaint life he and Meghan set up for themselves in their rural home. “Frogmore was ready. We loved that place. From the first minute. It felt as if we were destined to live there,” the former royal wrote. “We couldn’t wait to wake up in the morning, go for a long walk in the gardens, check in with the swans. Especially grumpy Steve.”

Their fairytale at Frogmore Cottage came crashing to an end when Buckingham Palace issued an eviction notice from the estate in early 2023 after the royal couple made their move to the US. An insider with the family told The Sun: “This surely spells the end of Harry and Meghan’s time in the U.K.” The couple has only been back to the U.K. a handful of times since, including for the late queen’s funeral in 2022.