Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's Eviction from Royal Home 'Just The Start' for King Charles
King Charles III has begun slimming down the monarchy, and evicting the Duchess and Duke of Sussex from Frogmore Cottage signals "just the start," according to reports. According to reports, the monarch plans to end subsidized rents for royal family members over the next five years, reported The Independent. Working royals, like the Prince and Princess of Wales, the Princess Royal, and the Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh, will also be expected to fund their own homes. An unnamed source said the King "is not some sort of housing association for distant relatives." This news comes after there were reports that the Duke of York may be forced to move out of his current residence, the Royal Lodge, and the King offered him the keys to Frogmore Cottage in its place.
Buckingham Palace sources told the Evening Standard that vice-admiral Sir Tony Johnstone-Burt, master of the household, and Sir Michael Stevens, keeper of the privy purse, will oversee the transition following the coronation. The royal household will be expected to adhere to the "Clarence House way" of operating, Camilla is rumored to ensure. According to a senior figure, "It is not about cuts, it is about getting the best value for money from those on the payroll. Sometimes less is more." It is reported that Charles plans to reduce the number of royals who rely on the crown for financial support, particularly those who aren't prominent members of the royal family.
According to the report, the Duke wants to make better use of the funds from the Duchy of Lancaster and the sovereign grant and wants to hire more talented employees by offering competitive salaries and pensions. The source added there have already been "staff cutbacks," saying, "The buzz phrase is 'Value for money'." There are subsidised palace accommodations and apartments known as "London pads" that are used by some members of the extended royal family, but Charles appears to want to open these properties to outsiders. "Properties will be let at commercial rates going forward and to people outside the family," the source claimed. "Where it is in a palace environment they will of course be security vetted."
It was also reported that extended family members who could not afford where they live should "cut their cloth." Andrew, for instance, has reportedly told friends he cannot afford to maintain Royal Lodge if the King cuts his annual allowance of £249,000. A senior source told the publication, "A lot of practices that have evolved during the last reign will be changing. The King is not heartless or reckless, but if family members are not part of the core family and not working for the crown, it is fair for them to house themselves and fund themselves." Previously, it was stated that Charles would not "leave his brother homeless or penniless," or "deprive the Sussexes of a base in the UK," as alternative housing was recommended for both parties.
As well as offering Andrew the keys to Frogmore Cottage, the King is rumored to have also provided Prince Harry and Meghan Markle an apartment in Buckingham Palace that Andrew formerly owned. In the past, Charles has promoted a slimmed-down monarchy. Angela Levin, a royal biographer, wrote that the King had wanted to trim down the monarchy for quite some time before Queen Elizabeth II passed away last September. Now that he is ascending to the throne, he wants to "save costs and make people be worth the money that they get from the taxpayer."