Meghan Markle, Prince Harry Refund Taxpayer Money for UK Home Renovation

By Dana Cruz Sep 08 2020, 03:13 AM EDT

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have paid back $3.2 million (£2.4 million) of UK taxpayers' money spent on their home renovation at their British residence.

Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex and Meghan, Duchess of Sussex look on during the pre-game ceremonies before the MLB London Series game between Boston Red Sox and New York Yankees at London Stadium on June 29, 2019 in London, England. Photo by Dan Istitene - Pool/Getty Images

The home renovation was for Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's Windsor home before they gave up their royal duties early this year.

The couple had just recently moved to California and held true to their promise of stepping away from royal life. Giving back the home renovation money showed that.

The couple's Frogmore Cottage is within the grounds of Queen Elizabeth's Windsor Castle west of London. Its renovation faced criticism from the British media as too expensive, noted the Al Jazeera.

It was a gift from Queen Elizabeth, but the renovations were needed for the home to be habitable. Some of the work included structural work, rewiring, and new flooring, said the Fox Business.

Defective ceiling beams had to be removed, as well as floor joists. Heating and electrical systems were also upgraded. It also included work to convert the 18th-century Grade II house of five apartments into one single dwelling.

The work was finished before the couple's son, Archie, was born on May 6 last year.

"A contribution has been made to the sovereign grant [the source of funding to the royal family] by the Duke of Sussex," a spokesman to Prince Harry said.

The spokesman noted that the contribution was offered by Prince Harry, as reported by The Guardian. It has "fully covered the necessary renovation costs" of the UK home.

The spokesman also said the Frogmore Cottage would remain the duke and his family's UK residence.

News of the repayment came as Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, a former actress, seek to build new careers and be more financially independent.

Sussexes Decide on Split UK, US Visits

As the couple chose to step away from royal life, they chose the town of Montecito, near Santa Barbara. They said they plan to split their time between the UK and the US.

The amount of time they spend in the UK raised questions.Graham Smith of Republic was one of the critics of this move. He found it odd that the couple would step away from royal life and still expected UK taxpayers to "provide them with luxury accommodation."

The Republic is campaigning for the replacement of the monarchy with an elected head of state.

Prince Harry, Meghan Seek Financial Independence

In a move to be more financially independent, the Sussexes had also inked a new deal with streaming service Netflix, noted the Hollywood Reporter.

It was a multiyear deal. The terms of the contract have not yet been disclosed. Before the Netflix deal, a bulk of the couple's income was coming from the private estate of Harry's father, Prince Charles.Overall, the UK royal family cost UK taxpayers about $85 million over the past financial year.

This amount is about $25 million more than the previous year. According to an Independent report, the amount was mainly for "maintaining royal palaces across the country." It also included "updating services" at Buckingham Palace.