Meghan Markle may have lived at Frogmore Cottage for a short while after her marriage to Prince Harry in 2018, however, she had her eyes set on something bigger which was “firmly” shut down by the late Queen Elizabeth.

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex were gifted Frogmore Cottage as a wedding gift by the late monarch.

Frogmore was said to be Elizabeth’s favourite home within the Windsor estate – it boasted five bedrooms and was given a £2.4m makeover

According to the Times, despite the late monarch’s thoughtful gesture, Harry and Meghan had hoped they would live in Windsor Castle and are believed to have “asked the [late] Queen if living quarters could be made available after their marriage”.

However, Elizabeth reportedly quickly shut down their “inappropriate” request and “politely but firmly suggested” that they live in Frogmore Cottage instead.

At the time, royal author Hugo Vickers told the outlet: “There are empty bedrooms and suites in the private apartments which the Sussexes may have had their eye on, or perhaps some former living quarters in the castle grounds converted into other things. But I can see how it might not be entirely appropriate to have a young family living there.”

Meanwhile, royal expert Katie Nicholl wrote in her book The New Royals that Lady Elizabeth Anson – who was Elizabeth’s first cousin once removed and died in 2020 – talked about how much of a “big deal” Frogmore was for the late Queen.

She said: “The cottage was a big deal. The Queen’s entrance into the gardens is right next to their cottage.

“It is essentially her backyard, her solitude, and her privacy. She was giving that up in gifting Harry and Meghan Frogmore Cottage.

“We all thought it was very big of her. She said, ‘I hope they’ll respect it.'”