The History of Frogmore Cottage: From Royal Refuge to Controversy

After Queen Victoria passed away in 1901, King Edward VII made the decision to remove Abdul Karim from court life and sent him back to India. This marked the end of Karim’s time at Frogmore Cottage, a place that has seen its fair share of royal history over the years.

Following Karim’s departure, the cottage provided sanctuary for relatives of Tsar Nicholas II who had fled Russia after the Bolshevik revolution and the tragic murder of members of the Romanov family in 1918. It served as a place of refuge during tumultuous times.

In more recent times, Frogmore Cottage has been used as housing for various members of the royal household. However, it gained widespread attention when it became the official UK residence of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle after their wedding. The late Queen Elizabeth II gifted the property to the couple, who made it their home before the birth of their son Archie in 2019.

Despite its significance, Frogmore Cottage once again found itself at the center of controversy when Prince Harry and Meghan Markle decided to step back from their royal duties in early 2020 and move to California. Princess Eugenie and her husband, Jack Brooksbank, then took up residence at the cottage while expecting their first child.

However, the peace at Frogmore Cottage was short-lived. In 2023, Harry and Markle were asked to leave the property following the release of the prince’s memoir, Spare, in which he criticized the royal family. The decision to vacate the cottage marked the end of another chapter in its storied history.