Prince Harry Pays Back €2.6m of Taxpayers Money after Clinching Netflix Deal

Prince Harry has paid back €2.6m (£2.4m) of British taxpayers’ money that he and the Duchess of Sussex used to renovate Frogmore Cottage – just five months since their March 31 departure.

THE Duke of Sussex Prince Harry and his wife Meghan Markle had previously spent €2.6 million (£2.4 million) renovating Frogmore Cottage, Windsor. The Prince has now voluntarily paid that money back, a spokesman said. Earlier this year the Sussexes agreed to pay back all the money they used for the reform.

A spokesman for the Duke and Duchess of Sussex issued the following statement on Monday: “A contribution has been made to the Sovereign Grant by the Duke of Sussex. This contribution, as originally offered by Prince Harry, has fully covered the necessary renovation costs of Frogmore Cottage, a property of Her Majesty the Queen, and will remain the UK residence of the Duke and his family.”

The royal couple owed the money to British taxpayers for renovating the Windsor Castle property, which they agreed to after they stepped down as members of the Royal Family this year. In May this year, it was revealed that Harry and wife Meghan Markle had reached an agreement to pay £18,000 a month back into the Sovereign Grant.

Repayments at the rate of €241,000 (£216,000) a year, would mean it would take them 11 years to repay the British taxpayer. However, on Monday it was announced the entire cost of the renovations has now been paid back in full.

Last week it was confirmed that the Duke and Duchess have set up their own production company and have landed a deal with Netflix to produce docu-series, feature films, scripted shows and children’s programming.

The money spent in 2018 covered the structural renovations needed to turn Windsor Estate’s Grade II-listed Frogmore Cottage back into a liveable family home after it had previously been converted into staff apartments several decades ago.

Prince Harry’s repayment means that the couple now has full financial independence for the first time since they split for the Royal family.