The rumors are true! After much speculation about where Meghan Markle and Prince Harry will live, Kensington Palace confirmed on Saturday that the couple will indeed be moving away from the estate.
According to a statement from Kensington Palace, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex will take up residency at Frogmore Cottage on Queen Elizabeth II’s Windsor Estate. They’ll make the move early next year “as they prepare for the arrival of their first child.”
Harry & Meghan are moving to #Windsor Confirmed by @KensingtonRoyal after story from @byEmilyAndrewspic.twitter.com/LDcEOEZr7t
— Rhiannon Mills (@SkyRhiannon) November 24, 2018
The couple, who are expecting their baby sometime in the spring, currently reside at Kensington Palace in the two-bedroom Nottingham Cottage. Frogmore, which is 20 miles away from their current digs, boasts 10 bedrooms and a separate nursery.
“Windsor is a very special place for Their Royal Highnesses and they are grateful that their official residence will be on the estate,” the statement read. “The Duke and Duchess’s official office will continue to be based at Kensington Palace.”
More:Meghan Markle & Prince Harry Are Expecting Their First Child Together
So, what do we know about Frogmore Cottage? For starters, it does have sentimental value to Markle and Harry — it’s where their engagement photos were taken and where their private evening wedding reception was held.
According to royal reporter Emily Andrews, the property is “within the private Home Park and faces the beautiful grounds of Frogmore House.” Andrews also noted that it is “undergoing a large refurbishment to turn it back from staff accommodation to a family home.”
Exclusive: Harry & Meghan are moving out of Kensington Palace next year. They’ve been given a new house by the Queen and it will be their official residence. It’s currently undergoing a large refurbishment to turn it back from staff accommodation to a family home.
— Emily Andrews (@byEmilyAndrews) November 23, 2018
Instead the Queen has given them Frogmore Cottage in Windsor. It’s within the private Home Park and faces the beautiful grounds of Frogmore House. It’s where they had their private evening wedding party & where their gorgeous engagement pictures were shot. pic.twitter.com/uByYVm7pWC
— Emily Andrews (@byEmilyAndrews) November 23, 2018
The Telegraph reported that the home is being renovated to include modern amenities such as a gym and yoga studio.
As it is, ITV described Frogmore Cottage as a “Grade II listed two-story, stucco-faced house sitting in the north of the Frogmore Estate on the Windsor Estate.” Its use as a royal residence dates back to 1792, although the house was built from 1680 to 1684 by architect Hugh May.
Fun fact: The cottage gets its amphibian-inspired moniker from the prevalence of frogs living in the low-lying marshy area along the River Thames (where the estate is situated), per ITV.
More:Prince Harry & Meghan Markle Won’t Have Custody of Their Future Children — Um, What?!
Although it has been suggested frequently that Markle and Harry would move into the apartment adjacent to Prince William and Kate Middleton’s at Kensington Palace, Andrews pointed out that, although that apartment is opening up, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex simply decided to go in a different direction, quite literally.
“The 20-room Apartment 1 at Kensington Palace, next door to William & Kate’s apartment at 1a, will become available next year as the Duke & Duchess of Gloucester are moving to a smaller part of KP,” Andrews tweeted. “But Harry & Meghan have chosen not to move there.”
The 20-room Apartment 1 at Kensington Palace, next door to William & Kate’s apartment at 1a, will become available next year as the Duke & Duchess of Gloucester are moving to a smaller part of KP. But Harry & Meghan have chosen not to move there.
— Emily Andrews (@byEmilyAndrews) November 23, 2018
Rumors of tension between Harry and William have been on the rise lately, with many publications pointing to the possibility of Harry leaving Kensington Palace grounds.
However, Harry, William and their wives have continued to spend time together recently and appear to be getting along properly. The good princes are more likely just preparing for the inevitability of increased time apart as their own families continue to grow and take precedence in their lives.
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