Another first for Meghan...she will bring up baby with yoga
BIG CHANGES: Frogmore Cottage in Windsor, is being refurbished. Above, mother-to-be Meghan
PRINCE HARRY and his pregnant wife Meghan have gained permission to build a huge motherand-baby yoga room at their Windsor home.
The royal couple’s studio will also feature a special floating floor as part of the £3million taxpayerfunded refurbishment at Grade II-listed Frogmore Cottage.
Sources say the floor is being installed so the family can enjoy regular yoga sessions together.
Planners at Windsor and Maidenhead council gave approval for builders to tear up the original Victorian boards to build the sprung floor, more usually found in dance, exercise and music studios.
It means vibrations and noise will not leak into the rest of the house. The original floorboards will be retained and used elsewhere.
Harry, 34, has become a yoga fan after Meghan, 37, who is due to give birth in the spring, introduced him to it last year.
A friend revealed: “It has brought calmness to his life. Meghan has kept up her own routine during her pregnancy and many experts say gentle stretching is highly beneficial for babies too. The new Prince or Princess will be the first royal baby to be skilled in yoga.”
The duchess has been a devotee for years and her mother Doria Ragland is a life-long practitioner and teacher.
The friend revealed: “Harry has been very supportive of Meghan and has worked with her in her yoga through her pregnancy. They want to give their child the healthiest, happiest start in life.”
Architects for the Duke and Duchess of Sussex have also been given permission to remove one of the building’s distinctive chimneys. A smaller one is to be built elsewhere on the roof.
The changes may cause accusations of favouritism and annoy conservationists.
However, strict conditions have been imposed by the council to ensure the plans “protect and preserve” the house, which is now covered in a huge white marquee. Chimney pots from the original stack are to be reused and surveyors have promised to patch the roof in exactly the same style.
Inside the property – which the couple hope will be completed in spring – an elaborate Gone With The Wind-style double staircase is said to be replacing the hotchpotch of stairs criss-crossing the interior.
New grand fireplaces will also be installed in the cottage’s principal rooms to complete the deluxe mini-mansion makeover.
Planners approved the scheme five days before Christmas but have kept many details under wraps due to security. New walls, anti-intruder landscaping and high-security gates have also been agreed, as long as councillors can see the plans in advance.
The friend explained: “Harry and Meghan can’t wait for the changes. This is the home they’ve planned and designed themselves.”