Meghan Markle and Prince Harry are just weeks out from their first baby's birth, but that's not the only big life change happening. ELLE.com has learned exclusively that the couple has now given up their country home in the Cotswolds, and provided the renovation works are complete, will move in to their new official home, Frogmore Cottage in Windsor, by the end of the month.
Meghan and Harry were first reported in January to be canceling their two-year lease on the rental property on the Great Tew Estate near Chipping Norton, Oxfordshire. A source at the time told Daily Mail that they were moving out of the home primarily for security reasons. Days before the news broke they were ending their lease, the first photos of their property were featured in British publications. Meghan and Harry would spend many weekends there and hosted friends in the country cottage (including Nick Jonas and Priyanka Chopra last summer allegedly, as Us Weekly previously reported.)
Their new home Frogmore Cottage will have 10 bedrooms. There will be an eco-friendly green energy unit, two conservatory extensions, and extensive landscaping so the couple and their newborn will have privacy.
A Royal source told ELLE.com the couple are “really excited about the impending birth,” and that they love the prospect of raising their child in Windsor.
“I think both of them think it’s going to be a really positive thing for their child to be there," the source said. "While it wasn’t something they had considered initially, once it became an option, they’re both really excited about it."
While Meghan and Harry will be moving out of Nottingham Cottage on the Kensington Palace grounds, the couple may not give up having a London residence entirely. Since their new royal household (their office and staff) will be based in Buckingham Palace and much of their work will be in the city, the two may have a second London apartment at St James Palace or Buckingham Palace.
This arrangement is similar to what Kate and William have with Anmer Hall (their country home in Norfolk) and Kensington Palace and what Prince Andrew has with Royal Lodge and Buckingham Palace.
Alyssa Bailey is the senior news and strategy editor at ELLE.com, where she oversees coverage of celebrities and royals (particularly Meghan Markle and Kate Middleton). She previously held positions at InStyle and Cosmopolitan. When she's not working, she loves running around Central Park, making people take #ootd pics of her, and exploring New York City.
