Prince Harry says Diana BBC probe ‘driving a wedge’ with William after Frogmore Cottage move
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex have ruffled royal feathers yet again over their “done deal” with Princess Eugenie and their UK home.
Entertainment
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Senior royals have been left “blindsided” by the Duke and Duchess of Sussex’s secret deal to let out their UK home, according to sources.
On Saturday, news broke that Prince Harry and Meghan Markle had their furniture removed from Frogmore Cottage in the dead of night, with the couple offering the renovated Windsor pad to Harry’s cousin Princess Eugenie, and her husband Jack Brooksbank.
According to a royal source, Meghan and Harry have offered the home to Eugenie under a private “house sitting” arrangement, while the Princess awaits the birth of her first child.
“Senior royals were initially blindsided by the idea for Harry and Meg to let Eugenie and Jack move in,” a source told The Sun.
“Obviously the Queen was told after the couples had spoken about the plan. But it is very much a deal done between Harry, Meghan, Eugenie and Jack. There is a close bond between them.”
The couples are understood to be close and have maintained a friendly relationship throughout Meghan and Harry’s shock split with the family.
A Buckingham Palace spokesman told The Sun, “Frogmore Cottage is the private residence of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex and as such any arrangements are a matter for them.”
HARRY RESPONDS TO PANORAMA INVESTIGATION
Prince Harry has hit out at attempts to “drive a wedge” between him and Prince William over his response to a scandal surrounding a famous BBC interview with their mother.
Prince William had this week welcomed a probe into reporter Martin Bashir’s 1995 Panorama interview where the late Princess of Wales revealed there were “three people in her marriage.”
Now the Duke of Sussex has criticised reports questioning why he didn’t speak out about the interview in a joint statement with his brother.
Bashir, 57, allegedly faked bank statements to show to Princess Diana to claim that people were being paid by newspapers to leak stories about her and that there was no-one she could trust but him.
A source close to Prince Harry claimed that he was getting regular updates on the probe, which was sparked by his uncle Charles Spencer.
“You do not need a public statement to imagine how he is feeling privately. People know how much his mother means to him,” a source told Sky News in the UK.
“He has spoken out bravely in the past about loss and grief, and the immense impact it has had on him.
“Sadly, some people are not just seeing this as a drive for truth, but also trying to use this as an opportunity to try to drive a wedge between the brothers.”
It comes as Prince Harry and Meghan have secretly moved out their treasured belongings of Frogmore Cottage and have let Princess Eugenie and her husband move in.
The California-based couple look set to make a more permanent home in the United States, with removalists clearing out items to be sent over the pond.
Prince Harry’s new media brawl comes as The Crown, a Netflix drama, plays out the early years of his parents’ marriage, including showing graphic images of his mother’s bulimia.
The couple has been criticised for taking $136 million from Netflix to make documentaries while the streaming giant rakes over the coals of his parents loveless marriage and ugly divorce.
Frogmore Cottage was a thorn in Prince Harry’s side with the British media repeatedly referring to its $5 million taxpayer funded refurbishment.
It had been empty since they moved to America in March.
Lights were seen on at night at the previously vacant property two weeks ago, sparking interest about who had moved in.
It was confirmed that Princess Eugenie, 30, was the new tenant, with the renovated five-bedroom cottage the perfect place to raise a child.
“Removal vans pitched up in the dead of the night and cleared out the cottage. They definitely did not want to be seen,” a source told The Sun.
“Emptying their home and handing over the keys is a pretty strong sign Harry and Meghan have no plans to return.
“It appears they are tying up loose ends as they plan to extend their stay in the US perhaps permanently.”
MORE STORIES:
Prince William backs Diana investigation
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Hollywood’s role in Meghan’s first break up
Gardeners have also been tidying up the property in recent weeks, which is near the Long Walk in the grounds of Windsor Castle.
Prince Harry, 36, has always been close to his younger cousin who married Mr Brooksbank in 2018 and St George’s Chapel at Windsor Castle.
It was unclear whether Princess Eugenie was being charged rent.
She had been living at Ivy Cottage at Kensington Palace in the centre of London, however Frogmore Cottage was much closer to her parents Prince Andrew and Sarah Ferguson.
Her father has been in disgrace over his friendship with convicted sex offender and billionaire Jeffrey Epstein, who committed suicide in a Manhattan jail as he awaited a court hearing on sex offences.
Prince Andrew, who is now retired from public life, lives with the Duchess of York at Royal Lodge in Windsor Great Park.
The Queen lives a short walk away from Frogmore, making it close enough to pop around for morning tea.
stephen.drill@news.co.uk
Originally published as Prince Harry says Diana BBC probe ‘driving a wedge’ with William after Frogmore Cottage move
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