A new book reveals that Meghan and Harry wanted Windsor Castle

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex had hoped to move into a ‘suite of apartments at Windsor Castle’ but were given Frogmore Cottage instead, a bomb book claims.

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle reportedly had their hearts set on a home in the heart of the Queen’s Berkshire home, but were disappointed, according to claims published in Katie Nicholl’s book, The New Royals.

“When Harry and Meghan announced their wish to leave Kensington Palace, the Queen offered them Frogmore Cottage in Windsor Great Park as their new home,” Nicholl wrote in an excerpt first published in the Mail On Sunday.

“This wasn’t the suite of apartments at Windsor Castle they’d hoped for.

“Nevertheless, it was a generous gesture,” recalled Lady Elizabeth Anson, who passed away in 2020.

“The cottage was a big problem,” she said. “The Queen’s entrance into the gardens is right next to their cottage.

“It’s essentially her backyard, her solitude, and her privacy. She gave that up by gifting Harry and Meghan Frogmore Cottage. We all thought it was very big of her. She said, “I hope they’ll respect it.”‘

In April 2019, the couple finally moved in. The following month, Buckingham Palace announced an even more significant departure: Harry and Meghan moved their royal home—basically their office—from Kensington Palace to Buckingham Palace.’

The move was especially significant because it marked the end of Harry and William’s “double act,” Nicholl notes, and was “deeply disappointing” for the Queen.

Royal editor Nicholl has published one of two bomb books making explosive claims about the royal family.

A second, Courtiers: The Hidden Power Behind the Crown by Valentine Low, claims Meghan believed she would be the ‘Beyoncé of the UK’ when she married Prince Harry, before discovering that she hated the strict rules of royal life and later sensationally resigned from her duties.

The book, which was previewed in The timesalso made allegations that the Queen had been forced to set her foot above Megxit and told the Sussexes they were “in or out” at the crunch Sandringham summit where the royals decided Harry and Meghan’s future.

Mr Low said the royals met at a so-called ‘Sandringham summit’ five days after the Duke and Duchess announced their plans to step down as senior working royals on 8 January 2020.

During the initial deliberations, the Queen wanted all four royal households to quickly work together to find a solution.

In the days that followed, meetings were held at Clarence House, then Prince Charles’s home, including secretaries from the four households, before talks moved to Buckingham Palace.

Simon Case, Prince William’s private secretary, was also involved, “in talks with both sides,” the newspaper reports.

These include five possible scenarios, including giving the Duke and Duchess a month each year for their own activities, or taking only a small number of assignments and devoting most of their time to other things.

As part of these options, general rules would apply not to make decisions for financial or material gain – for oneself or for friends.

A former palace insider said: “I think Meghan thought she was going to be the Beyoncé of the UK. Being part of the royal family would give her kudos.

“Whereas she found that there were so many rules that were so ridiculous that she couldn’t even do the things she could do as a private person, which is hard.”

But another called it an impossible task, with the two worlds of royalty and celebrities unable to understand each other.

They said the Duchess wouldn’t fit into the model of a working royal family, and the palace couldn’t accept “whoever she wanted to be.”

Mr Low writes that it was the monarch himself who felt that unless the couple were willing to abide by the rules that apply to all working royals, they “should not be allowed to perform official duties”.

“There was a very clear picture: you can’t go in and out,” a source told Mr Low. “And when you have such a clear view, it’s very hard to say, ‘Why don’t we go 10 percent this way instead of 20 percent?'”

This meant that the compromise was taken off the table by the queen, the author said.

He also claimed the couple felt “cornered and misunderstood” by the palace because of the “initial inflexibility” around their request.

Prince Harry initially sent an email to his father, then Prince Charles, regarding their concerns and desire to move to the US, but was told it would require a “decent family talk” not until at least 29. could be held in January 2020.

This, Mr Low wrote, was poorly received by the couple, who had hoped to resolve the matter quickly at their request.

The response prompted the Prince to organize a private meeting with the Queen, but it was cancelled, with Harry being told she was no longer available and confused about her calendar arrangements.

Courtiers saw the meeting as an opportunity for the duke to win the support of the queen first, before opening wider talks with the royal family.

“There was a danger that a private conversation could be interpreted very differently by two people,” a source told Mr Low.

The author added that Harry considered driving to Sandringham unannounced to talk to the Queen, but decided against moving.

The New Royals, by Katie Nicholl, will be published by Little, Brown on 4 October for £20. To reserve a copy for £18, visit mailshop.co.uk/books before 2 October or call 020 3176 2937 Free UK shipping on orders over £20. Or pre-order at http://hachettebookgroup.com/titles/katie-nicholl/the-new-royals/9780306827983/