Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have paid back the $3.1 million they spent on renovating Frogmore Cottage in Windsor, England when they were still senior royal family members. Earlier this year, the couple left the U.K. to live in Markle’s native U.S. with their son Archie and stepped down from royal duties. The news comes just a few days after the Duke and Duchess of Sussex signed a deal to develop programming with Netflix.
The Frogmore Cottage renovations were originally paid through the Sovereign Grant, a U.K. taxpayer-funded grant that supports the royal family. They moved into the home, owned by Queen Elizabeth II, in April 2019, but have since left it behind. “A contribution has been made to the Sovereign Grant by The Duke of Sussex,” a spokesman for Harry said in a statement to Entertainment Tonight. “This contribution as originally offered by Prince Harry has fully covered the necessary renovation costs of Frogmore Cottage, a property of Her Majesty The Queen, and will remain the UK residence of The Duke and his family.”
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Last week, Harry and Markle signed a multi-year deal with Netflix to produce movies, scripted shows, children’s programming, documentaries, and documentary series. The content will center on issues the couple is passionate about and highlight their new non-profit, Archewell Foundation.
“Our lives, both independent of each other, and as a couple have allowed us to understand the power of the human spirit: of courage, resilience, and the need for connection,” Harry and Markle said in a statement to the New York Times. “Through our work with diverse communities and their environments, to shining a light on people and causes around the world, our focus will be on creating content that informs but also gives hope. As new parents, making inspirational family programming is also important to us, as is powerful storytelling through a truthful and relatable lens. We are pleased to work with Ted and the team at Netflix whose unprecedented reach will help us share impactful content that unlocks action.”
Before joining the royal family, Markle was an actress, starring in USA Network’s long-running legal drama Suits. Markle and Harry now call Los Angeles, where Markle was born, their home. In her first interview since returning to California, Markle said she was happy to be home and is excited to take part in the change that is happening in light of the Black Lives Matter movement and protests.
