Sussexes Stepped Down as Working Royals in 2020. Meghan Markle’s recent revelation about a secret diary has stirred speculation about potential future disclosures.
The Duchess packed up her personal belongings as she and Prince Harry departed Frogmore Cottage, returning the keys a year ago. This cottage, initially gifted to them in 2019 by the late Queen Elizabeth, served as their first residence within the royal family. Initially funded by taxpayers for renovations, they later independently reimbursed the expenses.
Their tenure in the five-bedroom house was short-lived; by the end of 2019, they had announced their decision to step back from royal duties, vacating the property in 2020. Since relocating to Montecito, California, they have been vocal critics of certain members of the royal family in interviews with American media, leading to ongoing tensions.
While Harry has settled into life in the US, his recent visit to the UK in May for an Invictus Games ceremony did not include a meeting with his father, Prince Charles, despite rushing back earlier upon hearing of Charles’s cancer diagnosis.
In June 2022, Meghan disclosed that while packing her belongings from Frogmore Cottage, she came across a diary, expressing surprise at its contents.
“You go back and you open drawers and you’re like, ‘Oh my gosh. This is what I was writing in my journal there?’” she shared with The Cut, prompting speculation about potential future revelations.
It was a year after their departure that the Sussexes finally returned the keys to the cottage. In Harry’s memoir “Spare,” he controversially claimed that they were “evicted” from Frogmore Cottage following their decision to step away from royal duties, asserting that Charles had asked them to vacate.