Are Prince Harry and Meghan Markle neglecting to pay back British taxpayers for their UK residence, Frogmore Cottage? According to one tabloid, that’s the latest slight the Sussexes have made against the British crown, but the claim is totally bogus. Gossip Cop can debunk it.
In yet another disrespectful article about the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, the National Enquirer is insisting that Prince Harry and “his diva wife” are living it up in Los Angeles while reneging on their promise to pay off their debts on their Windsor house. “They’re nothing but royal couch-surfers,” says a spiteful “palace source,” who tells the outlet that the couple have “secretly” moved into a mansion owned by Tyler Perry.
There’s also Frogmore Cottage, which “taxpayers spent almost $4 million refurbishing” before Markle, allegedly, “would even consider moving in! Although Her Majesty ordered them to repay those costs, no one expects they will.” The source finishes their resentful tirade by saying, “it doesn’t seem to matter that a deadly COVID-19 pandemic is raging and the global economy is in free-fall. In their self-centered world, it’s all about them.”
Alright, look. At this point, if you’re one of those people who still thinks that Meghan Markle is the devil and that Prince Harry is “henpecked,” as the tabloid so elegantly puts it, it seems like there’s nothing Gossip Cop can say to shake you out of your fantasy. But we’ll say it anyway: this story, like most of the other ones about Markle and Prince Harry, is nothing more than a bunch of spiteful lies and petty, unfounded insults.
First of all, let’s address this Frogmore Cottage situation. Yes, the Sussexes have been clear about their intention to keep the house, but they’ve also kept to their promise to pay back taxpayers. As was reported earlier this week, Markle and Prince Harry have begun paying rent for the house, plus extra to pay down the renovation (which actually cost around $3 million, not 4, but who really cares about accuracy here?).
And yes, they’ve been staying at Tyler Perry’s mansion while he’s out of town. But it’s not a secret, as Page Six reported on it over two weeks ago. And also… who cares? They’re staying at a friend’s house while they hunt for a place of their own – why is this a big deal, exactly? Would all the Meghan Markle haters really prefer they stay in a hotel than a vacated house? During a global pandemic?
Finally, let’s consider that comment about them being self-centered amid the COVID-19 pandemic, a line which is conveniently placed next to a photo of Prince Harry and Markle walking outside wearing face masks – a photo that was taken by paparazzi while they were out delivering food to Los Angeles residents in need amid the public health crisis. Not exactly a well-chosen photo to demonstrate that “it’s all about them.”
As was widely reported in April, the Duke and Duchess have cut off all communication with the four biggest British tabloids, and they never give interviews – so how, exactly, are they making things “all about them?” If the Enquirer really wants Markle and Prince Harry to be quiet and go away, they should stop publishing paparazzi photos of them walking around outside together or drone shots of the house they’re staying in. Gossip Cop is fairly certain that both of them would greatly appreciate it.
It shouldn’t surprise you to hear that the National Enquirer doesn’t have, shall we say, the best track record when it comes to reporting on Prince Harry and Meghan Markle. In March, Gossip Cop shot down the disreputable outlet’s claim that Markle was ordering her husband to “get a job” out of a need for more cash. As far back as 2018, the tabloid was insisting that their marriage was crumbling just one month after their wedding. Hopefully you can see for yourself whether that one turned out to be true or not.
Gossip Cop has determined this story is totally false.