Meghan MarkleandPrince Harryare starting a new chapter in their lives – and step one was a move to the country!
The couple, who will welcome their first child in the coming weeks, aresettling into their new home— some 25 miles west of London. Here’s everything we know about Frogmore Cottage, which recently underwent renovations in preparation for the big move, at Windsor Castle.
News that Meghan, 37, and Harry, 34, wereleaving Kensington Palacewas announced in November. Nottingham Cottage, where they lived together at since their engagement, is a two-bedroom home that was never likely to be a long-term residence – especially after they had children.
“Windsor is a very special place for Their Royal Highnesses and they are grateful that their official residence will be on the estate,” a statement from the couple’s office said. After all, they tied the knot at St. George’s Chapel in Windsor Castle last May, and it’s where their engagement photos were taken.
Meghan and Harry Were Itching for a Change
Moving to Windsor “is a really healthy thing to do,” adds a longtime friend, noting that the rigid constraints of Kensington Palace are not for all. “I presume it must be nice to get out and away,” explains the source. “Without neighbors who are all either family or staff [at Kensington Palace], they will now have their own thing.”
The New Home Was a Fixer-Upper
The royal couple had to convert existing separate staff quarters into a contemporary family home.
“It’s pretty dilapidated now,” veteran royals biographer Ingrid Seward, author of the recent bookMy Husband and I,told PEOPLE shortly after the move announcement.
The Image Direct
They’ve Made Frogmore Cottage Their Own
Renovations meant that Meghan and Harry got to put their own personal spin on the home.
Complete with a new green-energy center, springy “floating floor” (perfect for yoga) and nontoxic paint, the cottage marries English and California style.
Insiders say the couple have been overseeing last-minute touches, including bookcases built into alcoves and a custom kitchen and dining room, where Harry plans to “do some entertaining,” including hunting parties, says one pal.
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle.Samir Hussein/ WireImage
Meghan and Harry Will Be Spending Lots of Time Outdoors
“It has the most amazing mulberry walk, where we would pick mulberries forPrince Philip’s mulberry gin,” says a former palace staffer. “And when the Queen is there on a Sunday afternoon, it is a five-minute walk up the hill for tea with Granny. It is gorgeous.”
source: people.com
