Harry and Meghan pay back £2.4m Frogmore Cottage renovations

The Duke of Sussex has paid back the £2.4 million of taxpayers’ money used to renovate Frogmore Cottage.

Britain's Harry and Meghan, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, arrive to attend the annual Commonwealth Day service at Westminster Abbey in London. Picture: AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth

A spokesman for Harry confirmed the duke had paid the bill in full by making a contribution to the Sovereign Grant.

The payment was made possible thanks to the Duke and Duchess of Sussex’s new multi-million pound Netflix deal, a source said. Harry’s spokesman said: “A contribution has been made to the Sovereign Grant by the Duke of Sussex.

“This contribution as originally offered by Prince Harry has fully covered the necessary renovation costs of Frogmore Cottage, a property of Her Majesty The Queen, and will remain the UK residence of the duke and his family.”

Last year’s royal accounts showed the cost of the renovations – paid for from taxpayers’ money – was £2.4m.

Harry and Meghan agreed to pay back the money and start paying commercial rent as part of the plans drawn up when they quit as senior working royals in March.

The couple faced a public backlash when the cost of refurbishing the Grade-II listed property close to Windsor Castle fell to the taxpayer.

The home, which is owned by the Crown Estate, was a gift from Harry’s grandmother the Queen. Republic, which campaigns for an elected head of state, heavily criticised the amount spent at the time and said following news of Harry’s payment that he should have paid the bill from the start.

Graham Smith, from Republic, said: “Harry should have paid this bill from the outset rather than expecting the taxpayer to stump up the cash.

“They’ve now paid for the refurbishment while continuing to use the home whenever they stay in the UK.

“Their statement claims the cottage is the Queen’s property, which is untrue.

“It belongs to the Crown Estate, which is there to raise revenue for the Treasury, so we have a right to know what rent they are paying for the place.” He added: “Harry and Meghan have ended their active involvement in royal duties and now live in the US, yet still expect the British taxpayer to provide them with luxury accommodation, always available for whenever they choose to visit.”

The major building project at Frogmore Cottage involved turning five properties back into a single mansion.

All fixtures and fittings were paid for privately by the duke and duchess.

Work on the property in Berkshire overran and it was reported that Harry and Meghan made constant design changes, meaning the builders fell behind schedule.

The £2.4m bill included structural work, rewiring and flooring, among other costs. A source said the couple will still base themselves there with their son Archie when visiting the UK.