I remember so clearly the early days of Prince William and then-Kate Middleton’s engagement, and the first years of their marriage. The communications office in Kensington Palace went completely overboard trying to force this image of Will and Kate as just a couple of humble middle-class normal newlyweds who simply looked after themselves. I was never clear why it was so important that we were repeatedly told the lie that William and Kate didn’t have any household staff in those early days, but yes, it was a lie. They had a maid and a cook and a full office full of staffers and assistants and helpers. Everyone knew that they had household and office staff, so I was never clear why they lied. And so it is happening again for Harry and Meghan. The Sussexes just moved into Frogmore Cottage, their first grown-up family home. And Katie Nicholl at Vanity Fair insists that they have a “very scaled down operation.” Except for the high security, I guess.
Now that they have left London, friends say they are looking forward to settling in to their new lives in Windsor, a place that has always been special to them. “One of the reasons they wanted to be in Windsor was to have space and privacy,” says a source who knows the couple. “They felt very overlooked at Kensington Palace. At Frogmore they can go to ground, which at the moment suits them perfectly.”
Apart from their security detail, the couple are currently alone on the property. “They don’t have valets, butlers, or a live-in chef. It’s a very scaled down operation which is what they want,” said one source. They will soon be joined by Meghan’s mother, Doria Ragland, who is planning a trip to the U.K. to help them with their newborn. An annex has been built at Frogmore Cottage so that Doria can have her own space while she stays, which could be repurposed for a nanny should the couple choose to appoint one.
Sources at the estate say that the security is “Fort Knox” style with hi tech cameras and sensors around the perimeter. “No one can get close. Harry and Meghan have made Frogmore their very own fortress,” says a local. “Right now it seems they just want to hide away.”
The Queen—who gave Meghan and Harry the property as a wedding gift—is likely to be a regular visitor to the couple’s new home. According to Windsor courtiers, the Queen enjoys picking flowers in the gardens of Frogmore House, so it’s possible that trio will cross paths during her strolls.
According to one source, the Queen hopes that Meghan will strike up a friendship with the Countess of Wessex who lives at nearby Bagshot Park. Meghan and Sophie got along well at Ascot last year, and they both come from similar backgrounds. Before she married into the royal family, Sophie worked in PR. She and her husband, Prince Edward have raised their two children, Lady Louise and Viscount Severn away from the limelight, enrolling them in local schools, something Harry and Meghan are said to want for their own children.
“The Queen likes the idea of Sophie being an unofficial mentor to Meghan,’ says a family friend. ‘Sophie is often at Windsor taking the kids riding on the Queen’s horses and playing at the castle. It’s a quiet lifestyle, very much the kind Harry and Meghan want for their little one.”
These two things don’t match: “the security is ‘Fort Knox’ style with hi tech cameras and sensors around the perimeter” and “the Queen enjoys picking flowers in the gardens of Frogmore House.” Good lord, Harry and Meghan’s security guards are going to end up tackling the Queen when she breaches their perimeter as she hunts for flowers.
As for the idea that the Sussexes are somehow in retreat… I have a pit in my stomach about all of the repeated references to “they just want to hide away” and “they can go to ground” in article after article. The British press is framing the move to Frogmore as Harry and Meghan running away from London, running away from the smear campaign, and running away from the Cambridges. But isn’t it far more likely that this whole “hide away” thing is just… Meghan’s maternity leave? She’s obviously going to be taking it easy on public appearance for months. It’s not hiding away, it’s taking care of a newborn baby.
As for “It’s a very scaled down operation…” Yeah, they don’t have many live-in people, that’s my guess. They probably have a part-time cook, a live-in maid, and I bet they’ll have a nanny in a few months. At least they’re not trying to convince people that they’re completely staff-less.
Photos courtesy of WENN and Avalon Red.
Yeah I laughed at the notion that not having a valet, butler, and a live-in chef is “scaled down.” although I guess for the royals it is scaled down. I am sure there is a cook/chef, even if they are not full time (since Meghan does genuinely seem to enjoy cooking), and I am sure there is someone employed to help with their wardrobe, even if its not a full time valet. So it sounds like they still have staff, just not really anyone living with them. And I am sure they will get a nanny down the road.
I would much rather read a story about Sussexes paying more than your regular privileged couple. Since they cannot change the system and there will always be people who either prefer to work as help or have to, because they don’t have much to choose from, it would’ve been smarter to treat the situation for what it is – Capitalism.
Now, if Meghan cut down on her couture dresses and Harry on his fancy shirts, and instead they paid premium to the people who help them clean the house, THAT would be something.
There may not be a chef, even part time. I can see them doing their own regular cooking and bringing in someone to help if they are having guests for dinner.
But I can promise you there is someone who comes in every few days to clean the bathrooms, vacuum, dust, change bed linens, etc. Harry hasn’t scrubbed a toilet since he left the Army and even I hired that job out when I was pregnant.
I imagine living at KP became a fishbowl in a bigger fishbowl especially as the relationship between the brothers soured. They probably are ready to be by themselves, especially now with the baby coming.
Not surprised the security is extensive. They are closer to the public areas than others, though I’m sure some of those hedges they installed for W&K made their way to Frogmore Cottage.
Plus, the threats against H &M have that racial tinge, which given world affairs, even more dangerous than normal.
Plus, how it seems that the Courtiers and staff at Kensington Palace did nothing but spy on Harry and Megan and run to the Tabs with every little sneeze made by that Uppity American and her Tantrum-Throwing Prince. It does seem like their every move was monitored at Kensington.
This actually seems like one of those stories that purports to be positive, but is actually a backdoor effort to make them look bad. Oh, look at the brave, “down to earth” royals doing without an under butler.
99.999999999999999% of UK citizens, not to mention the rest of the world, do without ANY “household staff,” and while I don’t actually expect the royal family to be “just like us,” articles that cite outrageous privilege and call it sacrifice are NOT designed to make them look good.
Remember when Kate and Will were supposedly going to live in a two-bed cottage with zero staff, and she’d be just an average military wife? How’d that go? (<<<—-Now that was a story genuinely concocted to make young royals look real and approachable which, ASFAIK, never actually even happened or, if it did, they played house like that for a few days, at most.)
My thoughts exactly! And those 99% have children, work, school, commute and other obligations that Sussexes have additional people to help them with as well. On top of whatever domestic activities they have help for.
Please.
Yes and I don’t know about others but it makes me more angry that try to force feed us the story that they’re so ‘normal’ and down to earth. We all know they’re not and it just makes them look false and dishonest. William & Kate did it with the whole fake middle class thing and Meghan & Harry do it with with their false sense of social awareness.
I can’t imagine they wouldn’t have a maid, at least. The place is too big not to! Hell, I have cleaning people come in once a week, and I only have a 3 bedroom apartment.
Gosh I wish I could have a cleaning person. If there was only one area I could hire help for it would be cleaning. I will cook and wake up in the middle of the night to feed the baby anytime but cleaning is the one thing I feel like I never have enough time for to get it all done properly. That and laundry.
We used to hire the best cleaning people once a month, our apartment was absolutely spotless afterwards and I loved it. They were very pricey but worth it. However, my husband changed careers and we were a lot poorer for a few years, and now even though my husband’s gone back to a high-paying job, we’ve taken on massive renovations that make it impossible to spare a couple of hundred each month for cleaning. My husband is actually a pretty great housekeeper himself, but I miss the folks we used to have monthly.
Given the opportunity, who would be “completely staffless”?
Not me!
I would *love* a part time cook, and yeah ok, someone to scoop the litter boxen. It’s kinda funny… for all the “normal” that W&K attempt to display, we know they’re really not. They have staff. They ALL have staff!
Meghan likes to cook. (Cooking can be fun!) She’s about to give birth. You KNOW they have their own staff, for whatever they need! But I do totally believe the narrative that she enjoys cooking and wants to do the most for the baby herself. If I were having a baby (HA!!!!!) in those circumstances, I would absolutely do the same.
I would love some extra help, but having ever present staffers would be really uncomfortable for me.
100% agreed. If someone wants to come into my house every day to cook and clean, that’s fine by me, but I would never want others to live there too. This is MY house.
Same for both comments … with the additional thought that more staff, for royals, means more potential leaks, interviews and books.
“…more staff, for royals, means more potential leaks, interviews and books.”
Exactly. And given what Meghan has been – and continues to be – put through by the media via various insiders, I can well believe that they have decided to eschew live in staff. They must be mega paranoid. I certainly would be.
Cat litter! A job I’ve always abhored and I’ve always had between 4-6 cats. My husband and I have a smallish home and don’t need staff because my husband legitimately enjoys cooking and cleaning and caring for the yard. Still, when we first moved in together we had a deliberate conversation assigning houshold responsbilities. I cleverly convinced him he should be responsible for litter boxes. I’m a brilliant negotiator.
LOLOL!!! We “only” have three.
My brilliant negotiator of a husband managed to convince me that they were “my” cats (which has only worn off recently, with a big yet subtle PR campaign I ran) so I mostly do the litter boxes.
It’s still better than having to walk dogs at 2am in the rain!
¯\_(ツ)_/¯
Harry and Meghan need the best security because there are a lot of nutjobs in the world. I saw some lunatics on Twitter sharing Google images of the roads around the house to see if the public can get access. I thought the mania would have died down by now, but people are still abnormally obsessed with Harry and Meghan.
A drone was caught flying over the house recent, plus a pap got close-up pictures of the house via public access from the Long Walk. Security is a serious issue.
Some people are crazy! I wonder how much a pap photo of Harry and Meghan is worth? I just can’t see myself stalking a family and finding joy in invading their privacy.
Katie Nicholl knows nothing about nothing.
Clearly. There have already been two security issues reported in the news, so no it is not yet Fort Knox. There was no annex built. There was an exiting outbuilding that may have been refurbished. Many of us could have written her story about this and done a better job.
Yeah, I call BS on all this.
I have 3 companies just to help with the yard work and we aren’t rich or royal and I still do a lot of it.
If I were rich – and I’ve dreamed about it – I’d hire yard men, housekeepers, a chef, a driver, security, someone to care for the dogs, horses, chickens and maybe a milk cow and a pretty guard goose and I’d hire a gardener.
I’ve had a weekly housekeeper at times and I had daycare workers and I use the local cleaners to help with big laundry such as starched shirts, comforters, drapes and finally got yard men to help.
It’s bliss, I tell ya.
I want a staff.
I want a staff REAL BAD. 😉
She does look lovely in that emerald color.
I like how much thought you’ve put into this, as I’ve done the same!
LOL I like you…lost it at guard goose
Yeah what is that? Is it a a guard dog that is actually a goose? If so, that sounds very cool.
Y’all are funny!
Geese are good guards/ alarm systems. They are big and they can be mean.
Guinea fowl are good alarms too.
I especially like the geese that have the coloring of Siamese cats and I’d also like a small flock of sheep just to finish the whole Beatrix Potter theme.
Peacocks were/are often kept by fancy folks as guard birds! They have excellent vision and if they see something, they will kick up a fuss!
Well when I was working I had to have everything perfectly arranged. Cleaners pick up and deliver, dairy delivery, house cleaner, poop scooper, floor polishers etc. Now I stay home and things are more chaotic but fun, I kept my poop scooper and house cleaner for sheer laziness.
Frogmore cottage is quite small compared to the main house so I’m thinking part time cook, live in housekeeper and nanny as well as a gardener(or the grounds already taken of care of)
London Eye will be lit up red, white and blue when baby Sussex arrives…yes they will definitely have a nanny, perhaps American?
Of course they have staff. No way are 9 month pregnant Meghan and Harry cleaning toilets and 5 bedrooms, scrubbing bathtubs, cooking three meals, sweeping, dusting, mopping, doing laundry, walking the dogs AND folding clothes. Nahh.
Kate and William had household staff in London, and then in Norfolk, but they literally rented a small cottage in Wales for the first year or so. That is when they didn’t have domestic staff, because there was not room and they weren’t working.
Also, having no domestic staff that live in their house is not the same as no staff: Groundskeepers, security, drivers, etc.
We’re conflating “household” with capital H “Household.”
The farmhouse was a four bedroom luxury revamp on the private Bodorgan Estate owned by Sir George Meyrick, one of the wealthiest people in Wales. You can find photos of the interior on rental websites. W&K had four full-time staff in Wales including cook, housekeeper, and groundsmen.
Thank you nota! I still can’t believe people fell for the “roughing it in a cottage in Wales”.
Not much luxury here…
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/prince-william/10328491/First-look-inside-the-Duke-and-Duchess-of-Cambridges-Anglesey-home.html
Did you read the article you linked to?
“The pastel-coloured dining room boasts French doors, ornate light fixtures and a picturesque view of Newborough Forest and the beach below.”
Sounds pretty nice to me.
Oh it was by no means a dump but that was just a description of the one picture available by the ‘journalist.’ but it was by no means capable of hosting live-in staff. I would compare it to H&M’s Cotswolds place, a ‘starter’ home (as much as a royal can have a starter home)
I don’t know. I can believe this. Meghan spent 36 years of her life without a staff to look after her every move. While I’m sure she hired regular house cleaners, yard workers, etc like a lot of even non-wealthy people do, she didn’t grow up with staff to take care of everything. To me it would feel like a massive loss of legit privacy to have all of that – especially if it started when I was in my late 30s.
While Frogmore Cottage is smaller than the main house, it’s big enough that I’m sure they have some household staff. But it wouldn’t surprise me if they had it truly scaled down (with the obvious exception of security, which is completely necessary).
What usually happens is staff from the Queens residence will temporarily go and work for their household. Or even go permanently. That’s why we tend not to really know who works for them.
There is absolutely no way that they don’t get a live in nanny. If they’re both going to work they’re going to need someone to take care of the kid, and it’s not like they are going to be signing up for daycare! They work days and evenings, they are going to be away on tours (either with or without the kid), and they will need full time help to manage that.
I know nannys for “normal people” often also cook and sometimes clean, but I can’t imagine that nannys for the super wealthy do. I doubt nanny Maria would ever be preparing meals, even just for the kids. If that’s the case, then they will need to have a chef on staff in some capacity. Same goes for a housekeeper.
I don’t even think any of that is overly extravagant. It is the reality of the job they are doing. If you’re going to be away from your kids regularly as part of your job you need consistent care and stability for them.
Nanny Maria is a Norland College nanny. They are absolutely trained to prepare and cook meals for the children. If you search on YouTube, there is a really interesting documentary/reality tv thing on girls who are studying at Norland. I found it helped me to understand the relationship between the Cambridges and Maria better.
Thanks LizB, I will check it out!
Here’s my theory: Since we know that the relationship between the brothers has “soured” (See also: This week’s People cover, which, given People’s bee-hind kissing relationship with palace “sources,” makes it official), I get the sense that the Queen and Prince Charles have officially-unofficially sided with the Sussexes, i.e., moving them away from KP, setting up an office at BP (and paying for it, btw). Further exhibits include the fact that Meghan went on an overnight solo visit with the Queen just a month or so after she got married, which Kate did not go solo until a month ago, as well as giving Meghan what amounts to frankly more plum patronage assignments, including the Association of Commonwealth Universities and the Royal National Theatre, et al.
More than likely, the sibling rift developed as a result of the Queen’s and Charles’ obvious affection for Meghan considering how they really have bent over backwards to welcome her into the family, whereas Kate was kept on a very tight, controlled leash – which, if we’re being honest – was not altogether unfounded. Sure, she’s from a wealthy merchant class family, but she has no real job experience or money of her own. Her whole raison d’etre was marrying William. She never really seemed to be super motivated in her “work” for the BRF – until Meghan came along. Suddenly, she’s out giving speeches and roasting marshmallows and making pizzas and it all seems a bit… contrived. Meghan, for all the horrid, racist narratives thrown at her, came in pre-packaged and brand ready-to-go.
But, let’s face it, the Invictus Games and the other global initiatives by the Sussexes are enormously popular and are not going away. And the Queen and Prince Charles understand their value to the British throne – and as long as they’re alive, they will support them.
That must’ve been a tough pill for the Cambridges to swallow.
Which is too bad because I think the “leash” was created by William. I have no doubt Charles and the Queen would have worked to do the same with Kate had William wanted her to shine. He did not. He wanted her to work the way he wanted.
This is an interesting theory!
In any case, it really seems that Meghan was born to do that work. So, it will be fascinating to see how it all plays out!
I agree that William is why she doesn’t do more. Their entire relationship has been Kate making her life fit to please William and she has never rebelled. Her selling feature was that he could do whatever he wanted and she won’t push back like Diana did. If William wanted her to work more she would. He doesn’t.
It will be years before anyone knows, however if 9-year-old Polo Sussex goes to the town public/state school I will eat my hat. If not Eton, expect something more nurturing and low key than Eton but still privately funded. Both Harry and Megan went to very nice private schools and will stay in that lane for their children.
I agree. I think their kid is going to go to have top-shelf education from the jump. However, I can also see Meghan doing her research and discovering that while some of these big name schools are prestigious, they don’t necessarily have the best programs…and picking something more obscure.
I had a nanny when I worked full time. It was cheaper than childcare for three kids (two infants and a toddler). She wasn’t live in, just a day person who came to watch in my home. I’m sure when you factor in what security detail would cost to send to a nursery or day care, it’s probably cheaper to have someone at your home.
I also had someone come help with laundry and cleaning because My DH and I both worked insane hours, so I can’t fault someone too much. We didn’t have local family to help when our kids were little, so I can understand having to have someone there to help you.
I currently stay home with my 3 and 1 year old. I keep telling my husband when I do work outside the house, things WILL have to be outsourced. He doesn’t understand I can’t work 50 hours a week and still do all the things I do when I stay home. It’s frustrsting. I do 100% of the house and 70% babies(100% on days he works). When he’s off work(not often)I ask he be a good father and I still do the cleaning. The babies need him more than the laundry and dishes. It just is funny to me how he thinks we will magically find the time(aka me) to do everything I do while I stay home AND work more than full time…with no help. And if I have one day off to spend with my family, I’d rather not be cleaning the entire day! Life is too short for that but I guess we will cross this ‘household help’ bridge when we get there in about two years. GULP.
My hat is off to all working outside the house moms because I get the worst tailspin of anxiety trying to figure out how I’m going to do it all?! I think I need anxiety meds but that is another subject. Moms are so amazing, working or staying at home, we don’t give ourself enough credit! There is zero shame or guilt in getting help with kids, or the house because damn it, life is too short. Plus, you are employing someone who needs it, so you are helping yourself and them!!
I wish you luck.
My response to my husband is if he doesn’t want to outsource then he can do it because I will not. That always works for me. There’s no bs about ‘womens work’ in this house.
I decided the cost of every-other-week housecleaning was cheaper than a divorce so that’s what we shell out for – both my husband and I work demanding roles plus I travel 40% of the time…add two school-age kids into the mix and we HAVE to outsource!
I agree that they will likely have a nanny eventually. But I disagree that their child(ren) will not go to nursery. George went to one, as did (does?) Charlotte. It is pretty standard and it gives the kids a relatively normal childhood experience which is something the RF always seem to aim for.
Also, is the Cambridge’s Nanny Maria live in?
Yes.
I would be so uncomfortable with LIVE IN staff and I would never have that, even if I was royal. I hope she gets help if she needs it. As someone who has zero help and had two babies back to back, I wake up starting a load of laundry and go to sleep switching laundry out. LOL I will be on my death bed asking to switch the laundry out or hang it before it’s wrinkled.
Also, I had/have PP Anxiety. I didn’t leave either newborn for longer than to go pee for the first year of their life, and I’m not exaggerating! If I wasn’t right next to them, they would die(what my 24/7 thoughts were). It was a nightmare for me. Still is HARD. I haven’t had help yet because my youngest is 15 months and I keep telling myself it will go away?! Anyway, I hope she gets any and all help she needs!
Do people expect them to be full time working Royals and not have staff at home to keep things running? Meghan’s clothes need to be looked after, they won’t be able to spend 24/7 with their children, so a nanny will be needed. A cook, too. These are essential parts of any rich and royal household.
If the part about Sophie being a good resource/mentor for Megan is true I think that would be a good thing. Although she doesn’t get the same press coverage as Kate Sophie is not as work shy as Kate and seems to do a fair bit without a lot of fanfare. I think she would have more in common with Megan than Kate would…
My guard goose just came back from his winter vacation! He sits at the end of our lane, and he is a nasty piece of work.
Yep. I live in Colorado.
We have 1000s and 1000s of Canada Geese here.
You don’t want to get near those.
With so much petty bullsh*t being tossed, they got plenty of fertilizer for the gardens. 💩🌷
Now I have this image in my brain of QE2 in one of her glorious dresses and hats, wandering around the Frogmore gardens sniffing flowers and plucking blooms to place in her Royal Wicker Basket.
Maybe Doria will teach HM some yoga.👑🙆
HAHAHAHA “no staff”
Good one. Really good one.
You know the media put this story out there, why are you so quick to believe rumors?
The Queen gave them Frogmore as a wedding present? No, not really. She may have purchased a long term lease on the house for them , but it is not the Queen’s to give away, it belongs to the Windsor estate which belongs to the nation. The same with Andrew and The Lodge (previous home of the Queen Mum) he has a long lease (75 years) on the property, he does not own it.
I have told Katie Nicholls countless of times in the past to stick to those ass kissing, fabricated stories about Will and Kate which is totally in her wheelhouse since Kate and Cambridge fans eat up the crap she writes with a spoon. I don’t call her Katie “Fanfic” Nicholls for nothing, this woman has written bold faced lies when it comes to Harry and Meghan, she wrote that disgusting lie about their unborn child saying that Meghan was going to raise the child as being gender neutral which incited further hatered and threats against Meghan and the baby.
Also Sussex fans are not foolish enough to believe that Harry and Meghan will not have staff or that they live a normal life. Now we do expect that there will be a nanny and a housekeeper that will probably come every two weeks especially with 10 rooms/bedrooms.
In the beginning Kate and William did barely have any household staff either but they lived in a modest cottage …
After the birth of the children and their moves into grander mansions / palaces this changed dramatically and they got criticised heavily for employing such a lot of staff.
Same with the Sussex’, I guess.