In 2018, the queen gave Frogmore Cottage to Prince Harry, Meghan Markle as a wedding gift
London:
British Prince Harry has reimbursed the British taxpayer for the £ 2.4million renovation costs for a chalet on Queen Elizabeth II’s estate in Windsor, the family home he shares with his wife Meghan Markle.
Frogmore Cottage has an Indian connection which goes back to the Raj when it was presented as a royal gift to Abdul Karim by Queen Victoria, then Empress of India, as a sign of her affection for her Indian aide and confidante.
In 2018, the Queen gave the chalet to Prince Harry and Meghan Markle as a wedding gift.
The couple lived in the chalet briefly with their newborn Archie before making a permanent move to the United States earlier this year as they retired as frontline royals. A spokesperson for Prince Harry confirmed on Monday that he had made a payment in the Sovereign Grant to cover taxpayer-funded renovation costs, an issue which had been raised by sections of the UK media.
“A contribution has been made to the Sovereign Grant by the Duke of Sussex,” the spokesperson said.
“This contribution, originally proposed by Prince Harry, fully covered the necessary renovation costs of Frogmore Cottage, a property of Her Majesty The Queen, and will remain the British residence of the Duke and his family,” said the spokesperson.
The announcement comes days after Prince Harry and his wife Meghan struck a £ 112million deal with streaming giant Netflix to create “content that informs but also gives hope.”
Frogmore Cottage is a Grade II listed historic property that Queen Victoria presented to Adul Karim, whom the then monarch called his “Munshi” and teacher in Urdu.
He was only 24 when he arrived in England from Agra to present Queen Victoria with a special mohar or gold coin to mark her golden jubilee in 1887.
He quickly grew closer to the aging monarch, who bestowed many gifts on him, including the cottage.
“Queen Victoria gave it to Abdul Karim as a special gift. She often visited the cottage and had tea with him and his wife. He had decorated the house with many exotic things, including gifts that had been given to him European royalty, “said Shrabani Basu, author of” Victoria and Abdul: The Extraordinary True Story of the Queen’s Closest Confidant “.
“There is also a sad angle in the story. Hours after Queen Victoria’s funeral, the new king, Edward VII, ordered all letters written by his mother to Abdul Karim to be seized from his house.
They were burned in a bonfire outside Frogmore Cottage and Abdul Karim was ordered to return home, “said Ms Basu, whose book served as the basis for the Oscar-nominated film ‘Victoria and Abdul’ with the British star Judi Dench and Victoria and Indian actor Ali Fazal as Abdul.
The Heritage Cottage, which has been a favorite royal retreat for many years, has undergone the multi-million pound redevelopment for the Royal Family’s newlyweds as a comfortable family home and is expected to remain their base when they visit the UK in the future.
It is set in the peaceful and secluded Frogmore House estate, near Windsor Castle, surrounded by 35 acres of lush greenery and Berkshire countryside. The estate has its own man-made Frogmore Lake and is home to the Royal Burial Ground and the tomb of Queen Victoria and Prince Albert.
