LOADED HARRY AND MEGHAN PAY THEIR UK DEBT
LONDON: Prince Harry has settled his debts with British taxpayers over the $5m renovation to his vacant home in the grounds of Windsor Castle, west of London.
Frogmore Cottage was renovated at vast expense, turning five small buildings into one grand residence. But Prince Harry and Meghan barely spent enough time in it to scuff up the carpet as they decamped for a new life in America after a fallout with the royal family.
They have since spent $20m on their new home — a 16-bathroom mansion in Montecito, near Santa Barbara on the California coast.
The couple have been able to pay cash for that and repay their Frogmore Cottage debt thanks to their new Netflix deal, valued at up to $275m, to produce and possibly star in films and documentaries.
“A contribution has been made by The Duke of Sussex,” a royal spokesman confirmed.
“This has fully covered the necessary renovation costs of Frogmore Cottage, a property of Her Majesty the Queen, and will remain the UK residence of the duke and his family.”
Richard Fitzwilliams, former editor of the International Who’s Who magazine, said the couple had left Britain to escape the royal bubble but their status had delivered the Netflix deal to seal their future.
“It was inevitable that they were going to pay it back, but now they have done it all at once,” he said. “They will never get their privacy because of who they are but because of who they are they get such amazing deals.”