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‘Meghan won’t compromise her family’s happiness & privacy’

AS THE DUCHESS OF SUSSEX settles into her maternity leave with baby Archie, she may have been hoping for a few months of privacy at Frogmore Cottage, the Windsor home she shares with Prince Harry. But Meghan’s peace was shattered last week when the couple’s spending records were released – unleashing a fierce backlash.

The documents, which revealed the expenditure of the entire royal family, showed that the restoration of Frogmore Cottage cost the taxpayer £2.4m. This was in addition to the royal couple paying for ‘fixtures and fittings’ themselves.

Critics were quick to say that the couple shouldn’t have spent so much taxpayers’ money, given their status as more secondary royals and their personal wealth. (Even before she married, Meghan was reported to be worth around £4m, while Harry inherited £7m from his mother and at least £7m more when the Queen Mother died). At the time of going to press, there was even a petition (with 2,200 signatures) on change.org to ‘stop UK funding for Meghan Markle and Prince Harry’s lifestyle’.

However, supporters of the couple say the criticism is unjust; indeed, taxpayers financed the £4.5m renovation of William and Kate’s Kensington Palace home without attracting the same level of outrage. And they point out that while most of the criticism has been levelled at Meghan, Prince Harry was equally on-board with the decision-making regarding the home improvements, supporting Meghan’s choices ‘every step of the way’, according to a source.

A Palace insider revealed the duchess has been ‘greatly affected’ by the criticism. ‘She’s upset to have been put under such public scrutiny when she’s settling into life as a mother,’ said the insider. ‘But the dominant emotion is frustration because she feels like all she has done is try to build a home for her

family, and that she’s taking the lion’s share of all the criticism.’

So what is the backstory to the controversial renovations? Palace insiders last week told Grazia that Meghan’s love of feng shui was behind the move from their cottage in the grounds of Kensington Palace to Windsor. ‘She wanted their last home to be open-plan, but Kensington Palace wouldn’t allow a wall to be knocked down,’ said the source. A move to Frogmore Cottage was then decided on – also, it’s said, a helpful way of putting some physical distance between the brothers who are separating their households.

Since then, Meghan has been ‘fully involved’ with the architects in charge of renovating Frogmore. ‘She wanted an open kitchen and living area, so she could entertain.’ Other features are reported to include installation of eco-heating, rewiring and new bathrooms. The Palace has denied that there is a yoga studio.

Royal correspondent Robert Jobson told Grazia that the renovation costs would have been signed off by a strict ‘chain of command’. ‘A budget would’ve been agreed,’ he said. ‘The Queen would be aware of the costs.’

The backlash shows no signs of subsiding, however, coming in the same week that experts calculated Meghan has amassed a jewellery collection worth around £600k. While many of her pieces will have been gifts, she raised eyebrows by modifying her engagement ring: she has replaced the plain gold band with one set with pavé diamonds.

The couple have previously been criticised for keeping the cost of their 2018 wedding private. Supporters, however, have pointed out that the royal family brings in significant revenue – recent estimates found that Meghan and Harry’s wedding added £2bn to the UK economy through tourism.

Meghan’s reluctance to share details of Archie’s birth, her delay in posing for a photo call, and her posting of an obscured image of Archie on Instagram on Father’s Day has led some to wonder if the public funds spent on her means we’re entitled to more. But a source says this is not something she’ll back down on: ‘Meghan is eager to dedicate her life to being the perfect princess, but she’s not going to be pressured into compromising the family’s happiness and privacy, whatever the criticism.’