King Charles has been urged not to give Prince Harry and Meghan Markle the keys to Royal Lodge, the Windsor mansion previously occupied by Prince Andrew. The call comes after the Duke and Duchess of Sussex returned to Britain with their two children in August, marking their first move back to the UK since stepping down from royal duties in 2020.
Although the couple now live in the UK, the monarch has made clear they will not resume roles as working royals. The duke and duchess are currently living in a rented property outside London, which may have surprised some observers given the number of vacant royal properties.
Royal Lodge Vacated by Prince Andrew
Royal Lodge in Windsor became available after Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor was evicted. Weeks ago, Andrew handed back the keys to the property, with King Charles covering the bill for necessary repairs. A spokesperson for the Crown Estate, which manages royal land and property holdings and generates money for the Treasury, said: “The lease for Royal Lodge has ended and our focus now is firmly on its future use and the opportunities to generate additional financial value for the nation from its early return.”
The property is located in Windsor, not far from Harry and Meghan’s former royal home, which has led to speculation that it could suit the family. However, a poll launched by The Daily Express shows many readers oppose the idea.
Poll Results Show Strong Opposition
The Daily Express asked readers whether King Charles should let Harry and Meghan move into Royal Lodge. The poll ran from 7am on October 10 until 4pm on October 14. A total of 95% of voters said no, 4% said yes, and 1% said they do not know.
Readers also shared their views. One Daily Express reader said: “Absolutely not. They should not benefit from any royal connection Harry used to have.” Another commented: “No, too close to William and his family.” A third wrote: “No, absolutely not. He's (King Charles) only recently got his brother out of Royal Lodge and it would be a huge mistake to let those two get their foot in the door.”
History at Frogmore Cottage
Before leaving royal life in 2020, Harry and Meghan lived at Frogmore Cottage on the Windsor Estate, where Prince Archie spent his first few months. The couple held the keys to Frogmore until 2023, when King Charles asked them to remove their belongings and return the keys, which they did.
The return was believed to have been a blow for the couple, who had spoken fondly of life at Frogmore. Harry wrote in Spare that he felt they were “destined” to live there, with the cottage being a wedding gift from the late Queen Elizabeth II. Before Frogmore, the pair had lived at Nottingham Cottage on the Kensington Palace Estate.
