Frogmore Cottage facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Frogmore Cottage |
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The cottage in 1872
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| General information | |
| Location | Frogmore, Home Park |
| Town or city | Windsor, Berkshire |
| Country | England |
| Coordinates | 51°28′35″N 0°35′53″W / 51.4763°N 0.5980°W |
| Completed | 1801 |
| Owner | The Crown Estate |
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Listed Building – Grade II
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| Official name: Frogmore Cottage in Frogmore Grounds | |
| Reference #: | 1117778 |
Frogmore Cottage is a historic house located in the Frogmore estate. This estate is part of Home Park in Windsor, England. It was built in 1801 for Queen Charlotte. The cottage is found in the beautiful gardens near Frogmore House.
Frogmore Cottage is owned by the Crown Estate. This is a special public estate belonging to the monarch. The cottage became the home of Prince Harry and Meghan, Duchess of Sussex in the UK in 2019. It was their main home before they moved to the United States. In 2023, they were asked to move out of the cottage.
In 2020, Frogmore Cottage was described as a large house. It has four bedrooms, a nursery, and four bathrooms. It is also a "Grade II listed" building. This means it is an important historic building that needs to be protected.
The Story of Frogmore Cottage
The cottage was first called Double Garden Cottage. It was built in 1801 for Queen Charlotte. Records show it cost £450 to build. Queen Victoria visited the cottage in 1875. She wrote about seeing "an immense number of little frogs" there.
Frogmore Cottage has been a Grade II listed building since 1975. This listing helps protect its history. The building is described as a simple two-story house from the early 1800s.
Who Lived at Frogmore Cottage?
Many interesting people have lived in Frogmore Cottage over the years.
- Queen Charlotte's Retreat: The cottage was a quiet place for Queen Charlotte and her unmarried daughters.
- The James Family: In the 1840s, the family of writer Henry James Sr. lived there.
- Abdul Karim: Abdul Karim, who was a personal secretary to Queen Victoria, moved into the cottage in 1897. He lived there with his wife and father.
- Grand Duchess Xenia: In the 1920s, Grand Duchess Xenia Alexandrovna stayed at the cottage. She was in exile from Russia after the Russian Revolution.
Royal Residents in the 21st Century
In the early 2000s, the cottage was divided into five separate homes. These homes were used by workers on the Windsor estate.
In 2019, the house was changed back into a single-family home. This was done for Prince Harry and Meghan, Duchess of Sussex. The work cost about £2.4 million. This money came from the Sovereign Grant, which is public money for the royal family. The renovations happened before their son, Prince Archie of Sussex, was born in May 2019.
The cottage is a royal property and a historic site. It was always planned to be updated, no matter who lived there. Queen Elizabeth II gave the cottage to Harry and Meghan as a "grace and favour" home. This means it was given to them to use for free.
In 2020, Harry and Meghan decided to step back from their senior royal duties. They announced they wanted to repay the money spent on renovating Frogmore Cottage. By September, they had repaid the £2.4 million. Prince Harry's lease on the property was extended until March 2022.
Princess Eugenie, who is Prince Harry's cousin, and her husband, Jack Brooksbank, moved into the cottage in November 2020. They lived there with their son. In February 2022, it was announced that Prince Harry would renew his lease. This allowed him to keep his official home in the UK. Princess Eugenie moved out in May 2022.
In March 2023, it was reported that Prince Andrew might move into Frogmore Cottage. He lives nearby at Royal Lodge. Prince Harry and Meghan were asked to leave the cottage. They were told in January and had until after the coronation to move out.
