Meghan and Harry traces being wiped out by UK royals?

The British royal family is reportedly planning to reverse the lavish £2.4 million ($2.9 million) renovations completed for Prince Harry and Meghan Markle at Frogmore Cottage. The major overhaul aims to completely “wipe the final traces” of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex from the Windsor estate and draw a definitive line under the property’s controversial recent history.

The 19th-century, Grade II-listed property has sat vacant since King Charles III officially requested the Sussexes vacate the home in 2023, following the publication of Prince Harry’s explosive memoir, Spare.

Why the Palace is Reversing the Sussexes’ Renovations

Before stepping down as working royals and relocating to California, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle famously converted what was originally two semi-detached properties into a singular, modern family home. Funded initially by the taxpayer-backed Sovereign Grant—and subsequently paid back in full by the couple—the extensive £2.4 million refurbishment included:

Upgraded structural ceiling beams, heating, and modern wiring.

The installation of high-tech home surveillance systems.

The creation of dedicated living quarters for security personnel.

The new palace proposal aims to completely reverse these custom changes, with insider speculation suggesting the property will likely be subdivided back into multiple staff apartments.

“Maybe if they get rid of any trace of Harry and Meghan, then someone within the royal household will fancy it,” a source told The Sun. “It would draw the line under Frogmore Cottage’s controversial history and return it to the pre-Meghan and Harry era.”

The “Sussex Curse”: Why Does Frogmore Cottage Sit Empty?

Despite its prime location in the beautiful grounds of Windsor’s Frogmore House, the property has reportedly struggled to attract new occupants. King Charles previously offered the keys to his brother, Prince Andrew, after stripping him of his royal titles and attempting to evict him from the massive 30-room Royal Lodge.

However, the Duke of York famously declined the offer. Insiders note that the home has effectively been abandoned for three years, with some joking that a “Sussex curse” or its heavy political history has made it undesirable for other working royals.

A Historic Property Drifting Past the Sussex Era

Frogmore Cottage was originally a grace-and-favor wedding gift to Harry and Meghan from Queen Elizabeth II in 2018. It serves as the historic backdrop where their son, Prince Archie, spent the first few months of his life.

Meghan Markle previously opened up about the bittersweet experience of returning to the cottage in 2022 to collect her final personal belongings, describing the process of opening old drawers and finding old journals and socks as “surreal.”

With Buckingham Palace simultaneously undergoing its own massive £369 million ($500 million) infrastructure overhaul to update dangerously outdated wiring and boilers, the Royal Estate is heavily focused on structural modernization. Stripping Frogmore Cottage of its temporary Sussex footprint appears to be the next symbolic step in streamlining the Crown’s real estate portfolio.