Princess Beatrice and Eugenie turfed out of Frogmore Cottage – as it’s rented for £360k

Frogmore Cottage, once home to Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, could be leased to the public if Prince Andrew doesn’t move in.

According to a source, Prince Andrew has been told that if he or his daughters fail to take up full-time residence at Frogmore Cottage by the end of the year, the home will go onto the rental market. If so, the commercial rate to lease the property from the Crown Estate would be around £360,000 a year.

"The estate doesn’t want to leave the property vacant and are keen to find a tenant," the source told OK!. "Royal residences within the security cordon have been leased to people outside of the family before. Close family friends will be given the option to lease the property if a full-time tenant can’t be found."

Sources close to the Yorks have also revealed that the decision has "rattled" the duke because his daughters Beatrice and Eugenie currently make use of the property, which has been left vacant since Prince Harry and Meghan Markle were evicted in July.

"The Frogmore keys were handed to Andrew earlier this year so that he could move out of Royal Lodge," the source said. "He hasn’t moved in, and he won’t. However, he’s allowed his daughters to make use of the property when they visit the Windsor estate."

The source added that Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie adore the cottage and make use of it whenever they visit the Windsor estate. However, shelling out hundreds of thousands a year on another home just isn’t an option for either of them.

"Eugenie uses the cottage the most when she visits the UK from her home in Portugal," the source said. "Beatrice also uses Frogmore when she visits her parents or undertakes royal duties. But neither of them has considered an expensive lease or the other expenses that come with it."

The well-placed source added that despite many back and forths between the duke and the Crown Estate, a deal to secure Frogmore failed and he’s adamant that he will see out the remainder of his lease at Royal Lodge.

"Frogmore Cottage has never been an option for Andrew," the source said. "What it boils down to is not whether he wants to stay at Royal Lodge or whether the King wants him out, but whether he can afford it.

"The King has allowed him to stay for now but if he can’t keep up with payments for the upkeep of the property he will be out."

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