A few months ago, it was announced that Prince Harry and Meghan Markle were moving out of their Kensington Palace residence and into Frogmore Cottage. At the time, Frogmore Cottage was not in a livable condition, much less up to the standards of royals. So Markle and Prince Harry set out on a renovation plan to bring the home up to par.
Now that the renovations have been completed, some people have been shocked at how much they cost the British public, but Prince Harry and Markle aren’t the first ones to rack up a hefty bill when it comes to homes.
What renovations were made to Frogmore Cottage?
Frogmore Cottage had not been lived in for a number of years, so most of the renovations had to be made to the structure of the residence.
“The heating systems were outdated and inefficient and were not to the environmental standards that we would expect today,” a source told People.
“The electrical system also needed to be substantially replaced and rewired, even extending to the establishment of a separate upgraded electrical substation, which was in addition to the main works on the property. And new gas and water mains had to be introduced to the property, replacing the five separate links that were there for the property before and were in a bad state of repair.”
In addition to the basic repairs, the walls were repainted with nontoxic paint, and the kitchen and dining rooms were redone.
Contrary to previous reports, Markle did not get her own yoga studio complete with foam spring floors put in the home.
How much did these renovations cost?
These renovations reportedly cost the British public around $3 million. They were paid for by the Queen’s annual Sovereign Grant.
Though the majority of the changes to the home were funded by the public, Prince Harry and Markle had to pay for some things on their own.
“All fixtures and fittings were paid for by their Royal Highnesses,” the source told the outlet. “Curtains, furnishings — all that would be paid separately, paid privately.”
“If a member of the royal family says, ‘We want a better kitchen than you’re prepared to provide with public money,’ then that would fall to them privately and they would have to meet the cost,” the source continued. “If they want that higher specification, they have to pay the extra.”
How much did Kate Middleton and Prince William spend on their renovations?
Though $3 million is a lot of money, it’s not nearly as much as the Cambridges spent on their renovations. When Kate Middleton and Prince William moved into their home at Kensington Palace they spent over $5 million!
This went towards turning the existing offices into an apartment for the Duke and Duchess and updating the electrical services, heating and air, removing asbestos, and redecorating.
Like in Markle and Prince Harry’s case, the public was not left footing the entire bill. For all changes that were deemed too expensive or not necessary, Prince William and Middleton had to pay out of their own pockets.
Source: Read Full Article