Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's home, Frogmore Cottage in Windsor, was renovated with £2.4 million of taxpayers' money, official royal accounts show.
Frogmore Cottage underwent months of major building work before the Duke and Duchess of Sussex could move in ahead of the arrival of their baby son Archie. The redevelopment started on-site in November 2018 and, for the most part, was completed at the end of March 2019.
The renovation was paid for out of the Sovereign Grant, an allowance paid annually by the government to support the Queen in her official duties and household. But all fixtures and fittings were paid for out of Harry and Meghan's own pockets.
'The scheme consisted of the reconfiguration and full refurbishment of five residential units in poor condition to create the official residence for The Duke and Duchess of Sussex and their family,' as revealed in the financial report on Frogmore Cottage's renovation.
Sir Michael Stevens, keeper of the Privy Purse, said: 'The property had not been the subject of work for some years and had already been earmarked for renovation in line with our responsibility to maintain the condition of the occupied royal palaces estate.
'The Sovereign Grant covered the work undertaken to turn the building into the official residence and home of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex and their new family.
'The building was returned to a single residence and outdated infrastructure was replaced to guarantee the long-term future of the property. Substantially all fixtures and fittings were paid for by Their Royal Highnesses.'
Some of the major works thought to include replacing defective wooden ceiling beams and floor joists, updating inefficient heating systems, as well as new electrical rewiring – including its own electrical sub-station – and new gas and water mains.
Some work does remain, however, including painting the exterior.
Frogmore Cottage – the 19th century property situated in the grounds of Windsor Castle's Home Park in Berkshire – was given to Harry and Meghan by the Queen. The couple had moved into Frogmore from the smaller two-bedroom Nottingham Cottage in Kensington Palace.
The monarchy cost taxpayers £67 million during 2018-19 – an increase of almost £20m on the previous financial year, largely due to refurbishment work at Buckingham Palace and maintaining other occupied royal properties.
The Royal Household publishes a summary of Head of State expenditure each year, together with a full report on royal public finances.
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