No, The Queen Didn’t Give Prince Harry And Meghan Markle A Haunted House As A Wedding Gift

It has been reported that the Queen has gifted her grandson, Prince Harry, and his new wife, Meghan Markle, a haunted house as a wedding gift. Is it because the Queen secretly doesn’t like Meghan? Or, are the young couple into Ghost Hunters and other such paranormal television programs?

Actually, neither of these reasons are correct. And, neither is the report. While Metro has confirmed the Queen did give Prince Harry and Meghan Markle a house as a wedding gift, it is not supposed to be haunted.

The Duke and Duchess Of Sussex were given York Cottage as a wedding gift. It is set inside the grounds of Sandringham Estate, where the Queen’s adored Norfolk home, Sandringham House, is located. This could be considered a pretty good indicator that the Queen wants her grandson and his new wife close by.

Prince Harry and Meghan already have a home, the Nottingham Cottage, which is situated within the grounds of Kensington Palace but this new cottage could be used as a “couple’s holiday hideaway,” according to Metro.

Previously, York Cottage was known as the Bachelor’s Cottage and has been owned by King Edward VII and King George V. The latter of which lived there after his marriage to Princess Mary. At the moment, though, the cottage is being used for holiday accommodation and to house estate staff.

So far, York Cottage doesn’t seem like a spooky gift, especially since it has been described as “three Merrie England pubs joined together” as well as exuding charm and character. However, according to House Beautiful, the confusion arose after the Daily Mail posted an article that suggested the house was haunted.

In the Daily Mail article, the wedding gift from the Queen was called “ugly, haunted and has been despised by a raft of royals.” The article also describes York Cottage as “a glum little villa,” an “ugly suburban cottage,” and “a place of no merit at all.” Also according to the Daily Mail, Queen Victoria described the cottage as “unlucky and sad,” and Princess Mary disliked the cottage as well. In addition, it was reported that the cottage has small rooms and will likely not appeal to Meghan who is used to the warmer American climate.

As for those ghosts?

According to House Beautiful, it is not an actual ghost that resides in York Cottage, but the memory of a man who once lived there. Prince Albert Victor, also known as Prince Eddy, lived in York Cottage in the early 1890s. However, tragedy struck on his 28th birthday when Prince Eddy contracted the flu and died.

As per the custom of the time, everything was left as it was found in the prince’s room. “The water in the jug by his bed was continually refreshed, and his soap was replaced as soon as it started to look less than pristine,” House Beautiful states. As a result of this, as other royal members took up residence in York Cottage, the memory — or ghost — of Prince Eddy still remained.

Regardless of whether or not a ghost took up residence in York Cottage, it seems likely Prince Harry and Meghan Markle will need to renovate before moving into their new residence. However, it is unclear whether they will continue to keep Prince Eddy’s shrine or not.