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The Duke and Duchess of Sussex insist the property still belongs to them, despite no longer residing in the UK. It follows allegations of direct talks between the Sussexes and Princess Eugenie and Mr Brooksbank.
The queen was not informed of the arrangement until after the negotiations had taken place; Express.co.uk has contacted Buckingham Palace for comment.
An insider told The Sun: “The royals were initially blinded by Harry and Meg’s idea of letting Eugenie and Jack move in.”
They added that the deal was now “very well done” and said there was “a close bond” between the two royal couples.
Meanwhile, a spokesperson for Buckingham Palace has confirmed that Frogmore Cottage “is the private residence of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex”.
However, last week it was reported that Harry and Meghan had made arrangements to have their belongings moved out of the royal residence.
The items were then shipped to California, where the Duke and Duchess currently reside.
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It is not known, however, how long the lifestyle will last.
Princess Eugenie and Mr Brooksbank tied the knot in October 2018 in a ceremony at St George’s Chapel in Windsor.
Mr Brooksbank works as European Director for spirits company Casamigos Tequila, while Eugenie is Associate Art Director at London Art Gallery Hauser & Wirth.
Royal analysts say the couple have always been close to the Duke and Duchess of Sussex.
A source close to Harry and Meghan told Elle magazine they were “delighted” to let Eugenie and Mr Brooksbank stay at Frogmore.
This year Harry and Meghan reimbursed the costs of renovating the chalet which had already been charged to the taxpayer.
A spokesperson for the Duke said the money – estimated at around £ 2.4million – had been returned to the Sovereign Grant.
They added: “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.”
The couple had said they would return the money as part of their plans to step down as royals.
Harry and Meghan would have been “very relieved and very happy” to have footed the bill, according to an insider.
The source told Vanity Fair: “It was not necessary for them to return the money, but it was important for them to do so, and after the Netflix deal they were able to do it.”
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