Meghan and Harry's Home Renovations Cost Taxpayers Over $3 Million
Renovations on Frogmore Cottage, Meghan Markle and Prince Harry's home in Windsor, cost over $3 million of public money, but the actual contribution from individual taxpayers is much smaller.
The money from the Frogmore renovations comes from the Sovereign Grant, the public money given to the queen to fulfill royal duties, which totaled at $104.5 million this year. That equates to $1.58 per person for the year.
The renovations on Frogmore Cottage, the official residence of Meghan Markle and Prince Harry since this spring, cost $3.05 million (£2.4 million) of British taxpayer money, according to the royal family's annual financial report released today. At first look, that's a big number, but the individual contribution that entailed for each taxpayer boiled down to less than two dollars over one year. Let's break it down.
The money for the renovations came from the Sovereign Grant, the money the queen receives from British taxpayers to fulfill royal duties. For 2018-2019, the total grant was £82.2 million ($104.5 million), which is actually equivalent to £1.24 ($1.58) per person in the U.K., according to the report.
In total, the royal family spent £67 million ($85.2 million) of the Sovereign Grant this year on expenses including property maintenance, payroll and staff costs, travel, utilities, and housekeeping. The extra £15.2 million ($19.3 million) was put in the Sovereign Grant reserve, which will be used to fund the ongoing renovations of Buckingham Palace.
The $3.05 million from the grant was used to convert Frogmore Cottage from a five-unit building into a single-family residence to accommodate Harry, Meghan, and their growing family. The "fixtures, fittings and furnishings" for the home were paid for privately by the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, a palace spokesperson clarified.
The construction work started in November 2018 and finished at the end of March 2019. Harry and Meghan moved in weeks before welcoming their first child, Archie, who was born in early May.
Before relocating to Frogmore, Harry and Meghan were living at Nottingham Cottage on the grounds of Kensington Palace in London. Prince William, Kate Middleton, and their children live in an apartment on the palace grounds. A spokesperson from the palace clarified that Frogmore Cottage is the Sussexes' only residence. And contrary to previous rumors, it does not have a yoga studio.
The Sussexes aren't the only royals to raise eyebrows with their home improvement budget. According to royal correspondent Omid Scobie, William and Kate also received flak for their £4.5 million ($5.73 million) renovations on their Kensington Palace home.
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