By: Yassmine ElSayed
CAIRO, Jan. 27 (SEE) - Preparations are underway, accelerating in the grounds of Windsor Castle's Home Park in Berkshire, for Meghan Markle and Prince Harry are leaving Kensington Palace in west London for Frogmore Cottage, a centuries-old royal retreat which will soon become one of the most famous homes in the world.
Protective covering is placed over Frogmore (pictured above) as renovation work gets under way on Harry and Meghan's new home
Frogmore Cottage, the 10-bedroom home, near Windsor Castle, was chosen by the Queen Elizabeth II for royal couple to raise a family in a quieter setting amid alleged "tension" with Prince William.
The Frogmore House, a favourite royal hideaway for more than 300 years and is home to a royal burial ground, is Grade II-listed and is said to be undergoing a multi-million pound renovation, before pregnant Meghan gives birth to the couple's first child.
The cottage is currently pided into five units which were home to royal staff, but it will be transformed into a family home with modern amenities.
A recent daily mail report revealed that Meghan hired cutting-edge ‘Soho House’ designer Vicky Charles who has worked with the Clooneys and the Beckhams to decorate Frogmore Cottage in style.
Ms Charles has worked on the Soho House clubs including this one in Dean Street in central London, and has clients including the Beckhams and the Clooneys
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex, whose due date is in the spring, will move into their main official residence early next year once the refit is complete. Once they move to Windsor, their office will continue to be based at Kensington Palace.
Previously, It is claimed that they had planned to move into one of Kensington Palace's main apartments, next to William and Kate, but there has been a "bit of tension" between the brothers.
It is likely that it will get a full security upgrade to keep prying eyes away. Previously, the public could walk right up to the property, which was surrounded by a small fence with a sign reading "Private".
The couple currently live in their first marital home, a Nottingham cottage in the grounds of Kensington Palace in west London, where Prince William and Kate Middleton also reside.
Frogmore Cottage has more than enough space for the Sussex family and a nursery for their baby - and even a gym or a yoga studio - with 10 bedrooms.
Formerly known as Double Garden Cottage, the home will no doubt become a more popular stop on the Windsor tourist trail.
Frogmore Cottage is set in an area that has sentimental value and many memories for the Duke, 34, and Duchess, 37.
It's half a mile south of Windsor Castle, the Queen's summer residence, and St George's Chapel, where Harry and Meghan tied the knot in May as millions around the world watched on TV. Their wedding reception, hosted by the Prince of Wales, was held at Frogmore House, which was also where the couple's engagement photos were taken. They reportedly had a summer picnic there in 2017 before getting engaged.
Frogmore House is in a peaceful and secluded location, surrounded by 35 acres of lush vegetation and Berkshire countryside.
The estate has its own man-made lake, Frogmore Lake, and is home to the Royal Burial Ground and the tomb of Queen Victoria and Prince Albert.
Frogmore House was once home to Victoria's mother, the Duchess of Kent, for almost 20 years. Her remains are also held there, in an elegant mausoleum.
The House - built in the 1680s and purchased by Queen Charlotte, wife of George III in 1792 - is open to the public just one month a year, in August, plus three charity open days in June.
The sprawling grounds allowed Queen Charlotte to indulge her love of botany, as the gardens, initially flat, were filled with 4,00 trees and many rare and unusual plants.
Charlotte's Vice-Chamberlain, Major William Price, and the Rev. Christopher Alderson of Derbyshire transformed the estate, creating the winding lake, wooded mounds, glades, walks and bridges in the Picturesque style.
Tickets cost up to £35 a person through the Royal Collection Trust.
Inside, there are grand and elegant rooms - including one decorated by 18th-century flower painter Mary Moser. Princess Elizabeth, the daughter of George III and Charlotte, painted garlands in The Cross Gallery.
The Britannia Room is furnished with items from the Royal Yacht Britannia, which was decommissioned in 1997.
Watercolours by Victoria's daughters, Princesses Victoria and Louise, are still in the House.
Public access is extremely limited because Frogmore House, currently uninhabited, is still used by the Queen and other members of the Royal Family as a retreat for private and official royal engagements.
Frogmore House was built by Hugh May, Charles II's architect, and given a name that refers to the abundance of frogs in the surrounding, low-lying marshy area.
It became a royal residence about 100 years later and has become a hideaway for royal couples and families, the Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh and their children.
The Queen, holding son Prince Edward, is joined by son Prince Charles (from left), daughter Princess Anne, husband Prince Philip and son Prince Andrew at Frogmore House in April 1965 (Image: Popperfoto/Getty Images)
Victoria was fond of Frogmore's peace and quiet, and it is said to have been her favourite retreat, visiting during her long widowhood and working on her papers there.
Frogmore Cottage was once home to Abdul Karim, Victoria's "Munshi", or teacher.
A summerhouse in the form of a Gothic ruin and a teahouse made for Victoria are both still standing on the estate.
George VI and the Queen Mother honeymooned in the grounds in 1923.
In 2008, it hosted the wedding reception of Princess Anne's son Peter Phillips and his Canadian wife Autumn.
Last year, the Queen called it a "wonderfully relaxing environment" that "holds a special place in (her) family’s affection".
It is claimed that the couple opted for secluded Frogmore Cottage over a 21-room flat next door to the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, who reside in a 20-room apartment with children Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis.
The Duke and US-born Duchess of Sussex will keep their country home in the Cotswolds while they reside in Windsor.
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