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Princess Anne ‘pushed’ Prince Charles to evict Prince Harry & Meghan Markle, Reveals Royal author

Princess Anne persuaded Prince Charles to evict Harry and Meghan from Frogmore Cottage, says new book.

Updated on: Nov 26, 2023, 13:45:18 IST
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A new book about the royal family reveals that Princess Anne was the one who persuaded her brother Prince Charles to evict Prince Harry and Meghan Markle from their Windsor home, Frogmore Cottage.

Princess Anne's stabbing influence in Prince Harry & Meghan Markle's Frogmore eviction. (AFP)
Princess Anne's stabbing influence in Prince Harry & Meghan Markle's Frogmore eviction. (AFP)

The book, titled Endgame: Inside the Royal Family and the Monarchy’s Fight for Survival, is written by Omid Scobie, a royal commentator who also co-authored the Sussexes’ biography Finding Freedom.

According to The Telegraph, Scobie claims that Anne, the Princess Royal, supported the “firm approach” that the royal family took with Harry and Meghan, who stepped back as senior royals in 2020 and moved to North America.

Scobie writes that Anne “is said to have persuaded Charles to withdraw the use of Frogmore Cottage” from the couple, who had received the property as a wedding gift from the Queen.

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The Sussexes had renovated the cottage at a cost of £2.4 million, which they later repaid to the Sovereign Grant, the public fund that supports the monarchy. However, they hardly used the cottage after relocating to Canada and then to Montecito, California, where they bought a mansion.

The book says that the final straw for the royal family was the release of Harry’s memoir Spare in January 2023, which revealed his personal struggles and criticisms of the institution.

Following the publication of the book, Sir Michael John Stevens, the Keeper of the Privy Purse, who oversees the royal finances, sent a letter to the Sussexes’ team asking them to return the keys to Frogmore Cottage.

The letter stated that since the Duke and Duchess were no longer working members of the Royal family and lived abroad, they should vacate the Windsor property.

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In June, Sir Michael confirmed that Harry and Meghan had left Frogmore Cottage at the annual Sovereign Grant account briefing. He added that the renovation of the cottage had left the Crown with a “greatly enhanced asset”.

The book also claims that Harry had a heated conversation with his father, in which he asked him, “You don’t want to see your grandchildren any more?”

Endgame, which explores the challenges and changes facing the monarchy, is set to be released next week.

  • Tuhin Das Mahapatra
    ABOUT THE AUTHOR
    Tuhin Das Mahapatra

    Tuhin Das Mahapatra is a key member of the US Team at Hindustan Times, crafting compelling narratives on politics, US visa, Hollywood, esports, anime, and beyond. This erudite literature student, if not penning down a narrative with his modest yet trusty pen, is deeply contemplating 'what the purpose of journalism is?Read More

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