Prince Harry & Meghan to repay €2.6m for home refit
Photos, food & transport on bill
Meghan and Harry
PRINCE Harry and Meghan Markle will hand over almost €20,000 a month to repay the taxpayer for the €2.6million spent on their home in Windsor.
But it will take more than 11 years to clear the sum.
The cash was spent renovating the Grade Ii-listed Frogmore Cottage after the pair married in 2018.
It was refurbished to the couple’s high standards and Meghan, 38, is understood to have chosen eco-friendly, toxin-free and vegan paint.
Five separate apartments were knocked together to reform the main property.
The beams and floors were replaced and a new gas and water system installed.
But the couple have spent very little time in the home, staying there for just two
A FURTHER €63,000 has been added to the cost of the royal visit to Ireland this year, new documents show.
Taxpayers’ pockets were hit hard for security drafted in to protect Prince William and Kate, which is estimated to have cost €1.3million.
The three-day trip in early March was the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge’s first official State visit here.
The itinerary included a visit to President Michael D Higgins, the Garden of Remembrance, Government Buildings and the Guinness Storehouse.
They also visited Teagasc in Co Meath, charity Extern in Co Kildare and Salthill Knocknacarra GAA club in Galway.
Records obtained by the Irish Mirror under freedom of information revealed a further €63,221.11 was spent on food, transport and photography.
Of that, €26,178 went on catering services, €17,541 on food for the “delegation and support team”.
And more than €8,000 of the sum was spent on providing food for the media from
Kate samples a Guinness the UK and Ireland at a press centre at Dublin Institute of Technology.
A spokeswoman for the Department of Foreign Affairs said: “The intensive and positive media coverage helped highlight the close and essential ties between Ireland and Great Britain.
“It was subject to high levels of interest from the public as well as the Irish and international media.”
The spokeswoman said UK press coverage of locations such as Howth and Galway could benefit tourism from the UK when Covid-19 restrictions are lifted. Costs for an event at the
Museum of
Literature Ireland where the future King gave a speech discussing the relationship between the UK and Ireland amounted to €5,365.50.
The spokeswoman said: “The event proved to be a valuable opportunity to discuss a range of issues with representatives from political, cultural, reconciliation, and arts and civil society groups.”
Transport and airport costs came to just under €20,000 as teams and delegations travelled with the royals – including the
YESTERDAY
media who travelled on two buses. A spokeswoman said: “Transport took account of the requirements arising from working in multiple locations as well as the media, security and staffing requirements that applied in managing this significant, high-level visit.” Facilitation works carried out by the Office of Public Works for events in Dublin and Galway cost over €4,600.
Official photography, printing and Irish translation amounted to €5,757.
The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge slept at Farmleigh House for two nights – the official State guest house in the grounds of the Phoenix Park.
Accommodation costs amounted to €1,238.
A total of €73.09 was spent on gifts for the couple with a spokeswoman stating the gifts are purchased on a “basis of the most economically advantageous cost savings arrangements, value for money and highly quality products”.
No money was spent on flowers, make-up or on clothing for Kate.
€8k spent on food for the Irish and UK media covering the visit
CHEERS
€26k Bill presented to the taxpayer for catering services during trip
The visit was subject to high level of interest from public and media GOVERNMENT SOURCE