Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s house decor proves Frogmore Cottage wasn’t destined to be their forever home, claims interior expert

(Image credit: Chris Aubrey / Alamy Stock Photo/Future)

published 5 March 2023

An interiors expert has pointed out a subtle detail in Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's home decor that they believe proves the couple knew Frogmore Cottage was not their forever home.

A subtle detail in the kitchen at Frogmore Cottage proves that Prince Harry and Meghan Markle never felt at home in their former residence, an interiors expert has claimed.
According to them, an overlooked design detail shows that the couple only ever planned to live in the Windsor home on a temporary basis.
The royal news follows reports that Prince Harry and Meghan Markle were left “stunned” by proposed new owner of their former home Frogmore Cottage.

Despite the fact that Prince Harry and Meghan Markle left Frogmore Cottage in January 2020 following their withdrawal from the Royal Family and controversial move to the US, they remained owners of the property the Queen had gifted them on their wedding day.

Since their departure, the home has been used as a hotel for the couple, with them staying at the private Windsor residence during their rare visits to the UK.

Princess Eugenie and her husband Jack Brookbank stayed in the home for a short while, but apart from that, the Grade II listed house has remained mostly unoccupied since the 2020 drama.

It was confirmed on Wednesday 1 March that Harry and Meghan had been evicted from their former Windsor home, with reports then alleging that King Charles III wants to move Prince Andrew, who currently lives at the Royal Lodge, into the private mansion instead.

So were Harry and Meghan shocked by the decision? While they were reportedly 'stunned' at the proposal to move the disgraced Prince Andrew into their former home, a home designer has claimed that the couple may always have seen their time at the Windsor property as temporary.

In a piece for the Telegraph, editor Jess Doyle noted one subtle but key detail in Frogmore Cottage's interior decor that may have suggested that the couple knew the abode wasn't destined to be their forever home.

Visible in a scene from their hit Netflix docuseries, Harry & Meghan, the royal couple are seen pottering around in their notably empty kitchen.

Doyle writes, "The on-trend open shelving above the kettle is completely devoid of cups, plates, pictures, or anything that might give the room a little life. A sign, perhaps, that they knew they wouldn’t be in it for long."

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Charlie Elizabeth Culverhouse is a news writer for Goodtoknow, specialising in family content. She began her freelance journalism career after graduating from Nottingham Trent University with an MA in Magazine Journalism, receiving an NCTJ diploma, and earning a First Class BA (Hons) in Journalism at the British and Irish Modern Music Institute. She has also worked with BBC Good Food and The Independent.