Prince Harry RENEWS lease on Frogmore Cottage - is this the telling sign he could step in for the Queen?

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, Frogmore cottage
(Image credit: Getty/ Getty)

Prince Harry has RENEWED the lease on Frogmore Cottage - is this the telling sign he could be set to step in for the Queen?

Prince Harry has renewed the lease on Frogmore Cottage and it's a telling sign that he could be set to step in for the Queen.

The Duke of Sussex is eligible to continue serving as a Counsellor of State for the Queen because he has kept his Frogmore Cottage address at Windsor.

Despite it being almost two years since he quit the UK and stepped back from the royal family to start a new life in LA, Prince Harry has dropped a big hint that his grandmother is still very much in his thoughts.

The Queen, 95, who tested positive for Covid at the weekend, will mark her Platinum Jubilee this year having served 70 years on the throne and as one of four adults next in line to the throne, Prince Harry can still step in for the Queen following this move to renew his lease on Frogmore Cottage.

Frogmore Cottage, Prince Harry

(Image credit: Getty)

According to The Telegraph, the lease was due to expire on 31st March but he and Meghan Markle are understood to have decided to renew the lease - despite living in California with his wife and their two children, Archie, two, and Lilibet Diana, aged eight months.

And with the lease renewal comes the continued eligibility to keep serving his grandmother as one of her four Counsellors of State and that's because he qualifies as being a domiciled in Britain due to his old Windsor address.

The Sussexes, who paid back the £2.4m of public funds used to renovate the cottage plus rent up until March 2022, is one of four people that can undertake some of the Queen's duties if she is temporarily indisposed.

He joins Prince Charles, Prince William and Prince Andrew, but with Prince Andrew stepping down from public duties it's unlikely that he will be called to stand in.

Prince Harry and the Queen

To be a Counsellors of State they must be over 21 and to act for the Queen can only be changed through legislation, according to Buckingham Palace.

The decision on any changes lies with Parliament.

But experts claim this would not happen unless her Majesty requested it, like she did previously when she allowed the Queen Mother and Prince Philip to step into her shoes.

It is thought Duchess Camilla could be a Counsellor of State upon the accession of Prince Charles as the wife of the monarch.

It's understood that Prince Harry is keen to return to the UK to attend the service of thanksgiving for his grandfather Philip which will be held at Westminster Abbey on March 29.

But he fears for his and his family's safety and is amid a legal battle to pay for his own police protection for the visit.

Selina Maycock
Senior Family Writer

Selina is a Senior Family Writer for GoodtoKnow and has more than 16 years years of experience. She specialises in royal family news, including the latest activities of Prince George, Charlotte, Louis, Archie and Lilibet. She also covers the latest government, health and charity advice for families. Selina graduated from the University of Sheffield in 2006 with a degree in Journalism, and gained her NCTJ and NCE qualifications. During her career, she’s also written for Woman, Woman's Own, Woman&Home, and Woman's Weekly as well as Heat magazine, Bang Showbiz - and the Scunthorpe Telegraph. When she's not covering family news, you can find her exploring new countryside walking routes, catching up with friends over good food, or making memories (including award-winning scarecrows!)