The Sovereign Grant is a system which replaced the older Civil List, money which comes from a percentage of the profits of the Crown Estate revenue. It was initially set at 15 percent but raised in recent years to cope with the significant refurbishments to Buckingham Palace. Frogmore Cottage is a Grade II-listed property, which was due to be refurbished before the Queen gifted it to Harry and Meghan as part of their wedding present.

The couple moved into Frogmore after substantial renovations to convert the five apartments into a home.

In stepping down as senior members of the Royal Family, Harry and Meghan intend to split their time between Canada and the UK.

This means they will spend less time in the UK, and have thus agreed with royal officials that the sum of money spent on refurbishment can be paid back to the Crown.

While other details on what stepping back will entail for Meghan and Harry have been confirmed, such as the discontinued use of royal titles and duties on behalf of the Queen, other aspect are yet to be ironed out.

Officials have not pinned down how arrangement of Meghan and Harry paying back the cost of Frogmore Cottage would work, saying: “The mechanism by which they pay the money has yet to be worked out.”

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex, whilst repaying the Sovereign Grant for the refurbishment of Frogmore, will continue to use the property as their UK family home.

The process of Harry and Meghan stepping back as senior royals begins immediately.

However, it has been stated that the new model will come into effect in Spring 2020.

A statement released by Buckingham Palace said: “The Duke and Duchess of Sussex are grateful to Her Majesty and the Royal Family for their ongoing support as they embark upon the next chapter of their lives…

“With The Queen’s blessing, the Sussexes will continue to maintain their private patronages and associations.

DON’T MISS:
The staggering sum the British Royal Family cost YOU – and it’s rising [REVEALED]
How Meghan and Harry’s Frogmore spending row ‘was misleading’ [INSIGHT]
Kate and William splurged £1million of public cash on shocking thing [SHOCK]

“While they can no longer formally represent The Queen, the Sussexes have made clear that everything they do will continue to uphold the values of Her Majesty.”

There are three sources of funding for the Queen and senior members of the Royal Family.

These are the Sovereign Grant, the Privy Purse – private income from the Duchy of Lancaster, a land portfolio – and the Queen’s personal wealth and income.

The Queen owns the Balmoral and Sandringham Estates which were inherited from her father, and these serve as part of her private expenses.

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex have openly expressed their desire to cut ties with public funding as they step back from the Royal Family.

It has not yet been confirmed whether the Duke and Duchess will receive money from the Duchy of Cornwall – Prince Charles’ land portfolio, or Prince Charles’ private income.

A source said that this would be discussed in due course.

Palace officials have also stated that the Sussexes would be paying an undisclosed sum to the Crown Estate in order to keep Frogmore as their British residence.

Other royals inhabit various estates across the country.

The Wessex family reside in Bagshot Park, Berkshire, whilst the Duke and Duchess of Kent live in Wren House in Kensington Palace.

Harry and Meghan will keep their HRH titles, however will not use them going forward.

Instead, they will be referred to as Harry, Duke of Sussex and Meghan, Duchess of Sussex.

Famously, Harry’s mother Diana, Princess of Wales, was stripped of her HRH title upon divorce of Prince Charles in 1996.

Source: Read Full Article