Frogmore eviction, security issues and demotion: King Charles against Harry and Meghan

No longer speculation, the Sussexes' spokesperson broke the silence and queries surrounding a possible eviction from their home in Windsor. It has been confirmed by the couple that they have been asked to leave.

The spokesperson said, “We can confirm the Duke and Duchess of Sussex have been requested to vacate their residence at Frogmore Cottage.”

Frogmore Cottage is a Grade-II listed 10-bedroom property in the grounds of Windsor Castle in Berkshire. It was a gift to the royal couple from the late Queen and the couple paid back the 2.4m it cost taxpayers to have it renovated. They had called it their 'forever home'.

Biographer for the couple, Omid Scobie, wrote in Yahoo! News that the announcement has not gone down well: "It’s news, sources tell me, that has left Harry and Meghan stunned, and at least two members of the Royal Family 'appalled'".

The biographer continued: "'It all feels very final and like a cruel punishment,' says a friend of the couple. 'It’s like [the family] want to cut them out of the picture for good.'”

Frogmore Cottage has reportedly been offered to Prince Andrew, as The Guardian states. As we all know, Andrew is also no longer a senior figure in the family and fell from grace after his sex assault case made the headlines and cast a shadow over the royals.

This comes after Harry's release of his tell-all memoir, 'Spare' but, even before that, the new King had made a few decisions that seemed to snub the Duke and Duchess of Sussex.

The death and following funeral of Harry's grandmother, Queen Elizabeth II was emotional for all and, in particular for the royal family. Not only did they loose their matriarch, but were also caught up in a world of media scandal regarding the Duke and Duchess.

Sadly, Harry did not make it in time to bid his own personal farewell to his grandmother. Royal expert Katie Nicholl had told ET at the time, "It's understood that the family wanted Prince Harry to be there, even though he was unable to get to Balmoral in time to see his grandmother…”

Photo: CBS

In his memoir, Harry recounts sending a text message to William to ask if he and Kate were flying to Balmoral – and when and how. His brother did not respond. Following that, his father called him to explain that Meghan was not welcome.

“Meghan, the Duchess of Sussex, was not, we understand, invited to join the family,” Katie Nicholl said to ET. But what were the reasons for leaving her behind at such a time Harry would need the support of his wife?

The Sun initially reported that Harry was at Frogmore Cottage when he received a phone call from his father, now the King, instructing his son to leave his wife, Meghan, behind. A source told the paper that 'Charles made it very, very clear Meghan would not be welcome.'

Prince Harry was no longer a working member of the royal family, so he was not permitted to wear military uniforms during the funeral of Queen Elizabeth II due to royal tradition. A Sussex spokesperson told T&C, "His decade of military service is not determined by the uniform he wears and we respectfully ask that focus remain on the life and legacy of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II."

Despite the distance, Harry and Meghan were able to catch up with the Queen on several occasions in her final year. They called in for tea in April on their way to The Hague for the Invictus Games and were able to celebrate Elizabeth’s outstanding achievement of her Platinum Jubilee together.

Harry went to the UK with Meghan joining him while they were in Europe for the Invictus Games. This was the duchess' first trip to England since the couple left their official royal commitments behind them. But their visit was tarnished with a family feud regarding security.

Prince Harry and Meghan lost UK taxpayer-funded security when they officially stepped down from their senior royal roles in early 2021.

Prince Harry had apparently offered to pay out of his own pocket for continued protection by police in the UK, but his request was not approved by the UK Home Office. They say he (like everyone else) is not allowed to privately pay the police.

Prince Harry's legal representatives said in a statement that he "inherited a security risk at birth, for life," and that "While his role within the Institution has changed, his profile as a member of the Royal Family has not. Nor has the threat to him and his family."

The royal website had the public in a stir as it underwent a revamp and made a few surprising changes, following the death of Her Late Majesty. The most notable change was the order of the royal family profiles, which saw Harry and Meghan moved to near the bottom of the page.

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex were previously in a position of high esteem on the website, just after William and Kate - the then Duke and Duchess of Cambridge. Now, the King's first son takes pride in a place as Prince of Wales after the King himself and his wife Camilla, while his second son appears after you scroll down... quite a lot.

Andrew of York was left disgraced after a messy lawsuit full of scandalous accusations. He made his way firmly down the page to last on the list. Harry and his wife, Meghan, appear just above the shamed royal son of the late Queen Elizabeth II.

Just above Andrew, we get a photo of Meghan and a link to her profile which mentions she married Harry and then stepped back from royal life. Not much more is mentioned other than the Duchess continues to 'support a number of charitable causes and organisations'.

Harry's profile is entirely different, however. Pages upon pages of information and social links are pasted onto the webpage that provides a biography of Prince Harry. A very detailed biography.

Why were Harry and Meghan 'demoted' by King Charles on the webpage?

The Daily Beast revealed that a royal source said there was "no significance" to the Sussex’s new location, aside from the fact that they have stepped down as working royals and the website received a 'periodic update'.

A source told The Daily Mail: "The change has been made because the Duke and Duchess are no longer working royals, unlike those who now appear above them." They come after long-time working royals such as Princess Alexandra, the Duke of Kent, and the Duke and Duchess of Gloucester.

It has been widely reported that King Charles has been pursuing a more streamlined and cost-effective royal family.

There was speculation that the decision to move the couple down the line on the webpage was made to try and keep Harry and Meghan out of the spotlight and reduce their perceived importance as members of the royal family.

The Daily Beast cites a source that has warned "Charles will be ruthless when it comes to protecting the Crown, and that means keeping Harry and Meghan as far from the center of gravity as possible."

Back in 2021, Clarence House disclosed that Prince Harry and Meghan were given a ‘substantial sum’ in order to set up their new lives overseas. This was after the bombshell interview with Oprah in March 2021, when Harry stated that the royal family had simply "cut him off." Was Charles trying to encourage them to stay out of the spotlight?

The King is looking ahead to a new monarchy, and it seemingly does not include Harry and Meghan. But they are, of course, the son and daughter-in-law of Charles. The king’s first speech stated how he loves Meghan and Harry but agreed that their new life is far from the one laid out for them by The Firm.

'True Royalty TV' co-founder Nick Bullen made the message clear in an interview with Fox News Digital. He says the King sent out the following message: "You’ve made your decision on what you want to do, and I support you in that, but that’s your decision."