Prince Harry & Meghan Markle Struck Secret Cottage Deal That ‘Blindsided’ Royal Family, Report Says

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle conducted their Frogmore Cottage deal in secret and left the royal family “blindsided,” The Sun reported.

As reported by Town & Country, the Duke & Duchess of Sussex temporarily gave the Windsor, England, property to Princess Eugenie and her husband, Jack Brooksbank. Harry and Markle lived in the home after moving out of Kensington Palace weeks before the birth of their child, Archie. Now that they reside in Los Angeles, United States, they are allowing their friends to use the residence.

According to an insider who spoke to The Sun, the understanding was conducted without the knowledge of the royal family.

“Senior royals were initially blindsided by the idea for Harry and Meg to let Eugenie and Jack move in,” they said.

“Obviously the Queen was told after the couples had spoken about the plan. But it is very much a deal done between Harry, Meghan, Eugenie and Jack. There is a close bond between them.”

A Buckingham Palace spokesman addressed the deal to The Sun.

“Frogmore Cottage is the private residence of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex and as such any arrangements are a matter for them.”

Although Town & Country claimed that the home would remain the property of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, The Daily Mail suggested that the pair don’t plan to return to it. In particular, the publication cited an insider who claimed that the couple had their possessions shipped to California. The insider reportedly said this is a “pretty strong sign” they have “no plans” to return to the town on the River Thames.

Harry and Markle are reportedly very close to Eugenie and Jack, and the group has been dubbed the “Fab Four.” The phrase was previously used to describe Harry and Meghan’s bond with the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge.

Frogmore Cottage was created using $3.05 million in public funds, while the interior was furnished by the royal couple. Long before the property was gifted to Eugenie and Jack, it was leased by Queen Charlotte in 1790 and used as a private getaway for her and her unmarried daughters.

Whether Harry and Meghan will remain in Los Angeles remains to be seen. Per The Inquisitr, the pair were reported in the summer to be struggling with life in the City of Angels. Reporting suggested that the couple was experiencing frustration over the launch of their foundation, Archewell, as well as Markle’s falling out with best friend Jessica Mulroney.