Royal MOVE! A peek inside Meghan Markle, Prince Harry and the Sussex baby's new home
MEGHAN Markle and Prince Harry will move out of their cottage at Kensington Palace ahead of the arrival of their first baby in the spring. Here’s a peek inside their new home, Frogmore Cottage.
Meghan Markle leaves with Prince Harry as he SINGS at event
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex will welcome their little bundle of joy any day now. Meghan Markle is said to have taken part in her final public engagements ahead of the birth now, and Harry is preparing to take paternity leave with his wife after the birth. Ahead of the arrival, the pair will move into the newly renovated former staff accommodation on Frogmore Estate where they will raise their family.
Frogmore Cottage is within the grounds of Frogmore House, where the couple had their wedding reception in May.
Meghan Markle, 37, and Prince Harry, 34, are expected to move early next year before the baby arrives.
The cottage, which has been used as staff accommodation servicing Frogmore House until now, is undergoing a major facelift ahead of their arrival, transforming from a working space to a family home.
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The 17th-century royal retreat, which lies about 45 minutes from central London, is within the greater grounds of Windsor Castle, where the couple were married in May.
When the work is completed on the cottage, it will be a 10-bedroom family home with space for a gym and yoga studio.
The estate comprises 33 acres of private gardens and its own lake.
The house gets its name from the abundance of frogs which have always lived in this low-lying and marshy area near the River Thames.
Frogmore House was built in the 1680s and purchased by George III as a country retreat for Queen Charlotte in 1792.
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Can the public visit?
Frogmore House and gardens are usually open to the public on three Charity Open Days each year.
It is yet to be confirmed if this will continue once the Duke and Duchess of Sussex take up residence, but the estate’s website says the next Charity Open Day will be in June 2019.
Frogmore Cottage isn’t open to the public.
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Why are they moving?
Harry and Meghan have lived in Nottingham Cottage, in the grounds of Kensington Palace, since their engagement in 2017.
The move means they will be 20 miles away from the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, William and Kate, and their three children: George, Charlotte and Louis.
However, the palace confirmed the Duke and Duchess of Sussex will continue to base their office out of Kensington Palace.
Earlier this month it was announced William and Harry had decided to divide their 'court' at Kensington Palace to create two separate offices.
The decision was based on the brothers’ changing roles within the royal family.
A source close to William and Harry said: “The brothers have leant on each other and looked after each other since their mother died.
“But now they have their own families, they no longer rely on each other as before.”
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