Everything we know about Frogmore Cottage in Windsor: Who lives there now, who owns it and a glimpse inside

Frogmore Cottage is located close by to Windsor Castle and it’s perhaps still best known as Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s UK home, though they haven’t permanently lived there for many years now.   

• The Duke and Duchess of Sussex might have settled Stateside but they’re understood to have retained Frogmore Cottage as their UK base. 
• Now reports have claimed that another senior royal could be settling there very soon instead. 
• This royal news comes as we revealed Prince William's tricky new challenge he's “working on” after his major title change. 

When it comes to beautiful residences, the Royal Family have plenty to choose from and traditionally the late Queen Elizabeth spent certain times of year at different homes. From Christmases at Sandringham House to summer breaks at Balmoral Castle, it’s not yet known whether King Charles and Queen Consort Camilla could continue this pattern. Though plenty of the other royals live close by to Windsor Castle in Berkshire and prior to “stepping back” as senior working royals Prince Harry and Meghan Markle were amongst them. 

Their former home and UK base has been Frogmore Cottage on the Windsor estate. Though recent reports have alleged that Prince Harry and Meghan Markle are set to lose the keys and another relative could potentially be moving in. 

But who lives in Frogmore Cottage now, what do we know about the interiors and is this royal property open to the public?

Who lives at Frogmore Cottage now?

Since Prince Harry and Meghan Markle “stepped back” from being full-time working royals, they’ve permanently settled in their Santa Barbara mansion. At the time they made the move to the US it was understood that they had retained the lease on Frogmore Cottage and that it remained a UK base for them whenever they traveled back to the UK. It was here that their daughter Lilibet Mountbatten-Windsor’s first birthday party was reportedly held in 2022 when the Sussexes returned for the late Queen’s Platinum Jubilee weekend. 

In between times, Princess Eugenie was said to have made Frogmore Cottage her home. She is thought to be incredibly close to the Sussexes and in November 2020 royal author and commentator Omid Scobie took to Twitter to reveal the claim that Princess Eugenie and her husband Jack Brooksbank had moved in. 

“Sussex source: "Frogmore Cottage continues to be [the couple's] residence in the UK and they are delighted to be able to open up their home to Princess Eugenie and Jack as they start their own family,” he shared.

Since then Princess Eugenie, Jack and their son August have reportedly moved out of Frogmore Cottage and in recent weeks it’s been claimed that she’s a royal considering following Prince Harry and Meghan with a US move. With them no longer living there, this means that no one permanently lives at Frogmore Cottage at the moment and that it remains Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s UK base. 

However, this could reportedly all change very soon as The Sun has reported that the five-bedroom cottage has allegedly been offered to Princess Eugenie's father Prince Andrew as a new home.  

The publication also claimed that Prince Harry and Meghan are supposedly making preparations to move the last of their belongings to the US. If the reports turn out to be correct then it seems Frogmore Cottage could apparently become - if not the Duke of York’s future home, then someone else’s potentially if the Duke and Duchess of Sussex do permanently move their things out.  

Where is Frogmore Cottage?

Frogmore Cottage is located in Windsor, Berkshire. It is close to not only Frogmore House, where Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's evening wedding reception was held but also to Windsor Castle. It's within Windsor Home Park that adjoins the historic castle and it's not only picturesque but was a very convenient location for anyone who was planning to visit Windsor Castle.

Why did Harry and Meghan choose to live in Windsor at first?

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex might live in LA now, but the Windsor estate has long been a special place for Meghan and Prince Harry. The Duke and Duchess of Sussex tied the knot at St George's Chapel here back in 2018 and their wedding reception was held at nearby Frogmore House. 

They also took some wonderful official engagement pictures there and the significance was something that was remarked upon in the official announcement of their new home.

At the time Kensington Palace reportedly stated, "Windsor is a very special place for their royal highnesses and they are grateful that their official residence will be on the estate."

Frogmore cottage also likely offered the royal couple the high level of privacy and seclusion they likely wouldn't been able to have in London. 

A brief history of Frogmore Cottage

The cottage was reportedly originally known as the Double Garden Cottage and it initially belonged to Queen Charlotte, back in 1801. Queen Victoria's personal assistant Abdul Karim once lived there and her mother the Duchess of Kent is also understood to have lived there for decades. It was later occupied by Russian royal, Grand Duchess Xenia Alexandrovna during the 1920s. The home has been a Grade II listed property since 1975. Most recently it underwent an extensive renovation before the Duke and Duchess of Sussex moved in.

Who owns Frogmore Cottage?

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle had a lease on Frogmore Cottage, but this royal residence is part of the Crown Estate. This means it isn't owned by the Duke and Duchess of Sussex - or any other royal - privately and instead ownership passes from monarch to monarch. The same is true of plenty of other royal residences like Buckingham Palace and St James's Palace and even Windsor Castle. 

What is it like inside Frogmore Cottage?

The home, situated just in front of Frogmore House is a Grade-II listed building and while it has a rich royal history, it wasn't actually that grand before Prince Harry and Duchess Meghan made it their home. The original building underwent intensive restoration, understood to have been overseen by the Duchess of Sussex, in order to make it perfect for the royal couple. 

Though it's all-too easy to be fascinated by the cottage, unfortunately when it comes to the interiors only a few details have been reported over the years. Some have claimed that the Windsor home has five bedrooms, as well as a cozy kitchen, living room and nursery. Prince Harry and Meghan Markle did share a few intriguing glimpses of the kitchen at Frogmore Cottage in their Netflix docuseries Harry & Meghan, released in 2022 and in the teaser and official trailers.

And when it comes to décor, the Queen is also said to have gifted her grandson and Duchess Meghan a series of paintings from her own personal collection. “Meghan and Harry [were] told they can choose some artwork for Frogmore Cottage,” a Palace insider previously claimed to Vanity Fair. 

It's also been alleged over the years that Prince Harry and Meghan drafted in the interior designer of the trendy Soho House, Vicky Charles, to help them with the decoration and design of their home interiors. 

Although fans haven't been given an in-depth glimpse of the interiors of the home and it hasn't been confirmed whether Vicky was brought on board, if the Soho House clubs interior is anything to go by, the home might include plenty of plush, luxury furnishings.

What are the Frogmore Cottage gardens like?

The Sussexes' Windsor home has a high level of privacy so it's not entirely clear what the Frogmore Cottage gardens are like, though the property backs onto the enormous Home Park, which is 655 acres of stunning gardens. The grounds are understood to be full of enormous trees, lakes, and lush flowers. The Frogmore Estate where Frogmore Cottage and Frogmore House are is also part of the beautiful Windsor Home Park.

Is Frogmore Cottage open to the public?

Frogmore Cottage is a private royal residence and so it's not open to the public and neither are the grounds around it. Nearby Frogmore House has previously opened to the public on certain dates but is currently not open for visitors. However, if you're eager to look around this royal property and it's gardens it's worth keeping an eye out as 2023 dates could potentially be announced in the coming months.