Harry and Meghan’s big request that was turned down by the Queen

Months before they quit royal life, Harry and Meghan asked the Queen for one big favour – and were left disappointed when she turned them down.

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle had requested a “suite of apartments at Windsor Castle” but were turned down by the Queen, according to a new book.

In an extract of the The New Royals by Katie Nicholls, published in the UK Mail on Sunday, the couple reportedly wanted to live within the then-monarch’s Berkshire home but were given Frogmore Cottage on the grounds instead.

And according to Nicholls, it left the Duke and Duchess of Sussex disappointed.

“When Harry and Meghan announced their wish to move out of Kensington Palace, the Queen offered them Frogmore Cottage in Windsor Great Park as their new home,” she wrote.

“This was not the suite of apartments at Windsor Castle they had hoped for. It was a generous gesture nonetheless, recalled Lady Elizabeth Anson, who died in 2020.”

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The Queen with Meghan and Harry in 2018. Picture: Chris Jackson/Getty Images

Nicholls explained that Lady Anson had described the Queen’s offer as “a big deal”, adding that “the Queen’s entrance into the gardens is right next to their cottage”, so it was “essentially her backyard, her solitude, and her privacy”.

Lady Anson reportedly then told Nicholls that “we all thought it was very big of her”, and that the Queen had said “I hope they’ll respect it”.

Frogmore Cottage in Windsor, England. Picture: GOR/Getty Images

Harry and Meghan moved out of Kensington Palace and into Frogmore Cottage in early 2019, after spending around $4.6 million on renovations.

The money came from the Sovereign Grant, which is funded by British taxpayers, and provides the Royal Family with funds to cover official royal business and duties.

However, less than a year later, Harry and Meghan announced their intention to step back as frontline royals in favour of living a more “private” life and moved to Montecito in California.

It was revealed in late 2020 that after landing a number of lucrative commercial deals, they had managed to pay back the cost of the refurbishments.