Meghan Markle Had An 'Inappropriate' Wish Before Marrying Harry — But the Queen 'Firmly Denied' It

Before her wedding to Prince Harry, Meghan Markle had a wish that was ultimately rejected by the late Queen Elizabeth. Royal insiders dubbed the request 'inappropriate' but understandable given her American upbringing. Harry and Markle moved into Frogmore Cottage on the Windsor estate after their wedding. However, reports suggested that Markle had their eyes set on a much bigger property—living inside Windsor Castle itself. But the late Queen 'firmly denied' their request.

At that time, only the Queen and Prince Philip had private apartments inside the castle. It is said that the Queen's favorite Windsor estate property was Frogmore Cottage, which she gifted to the couple. As reported by the Daily Express, it had five bedrooms and had undergone a £2.4 million renovation before Harry and Markle's wedding. As reported by The Mirror, Hugo Vickers, a royal author, shared, "There are empty bedrooms and suites in the private apartments which the Sussexes may have had their eye on, or perhaps some former living quarters in the castle grounds converted into other things. But I can see how it might not be entirely appropriate to have a young family living there."

Windsor Castle has been a royal residence for thousands of years, housing many members of the royal family. Other than the Queen and Prince Philip, the Prince and Princess of Wales, and even Prince Andrew and his ex-wife, Sarah Ferguson, have lived at the estate. The lavish property has several homes, from grand mansions to cottages, all of which were personally gifted to royal family members by the Queen. The Queen allegedly viewed Frogmore Cottage as a generous wedding present, even though Markle was reportedly disappointed.

A source said, "The cottage was a big deal. The Queen's entrance into the gardens is right next to their cottage. It is essentially her backyard, her solitude, and her privacy. She was giving that up in gifting Harry and Meghan Frogmore Cottage. We all thought it was very big of her. She said, 'I hope they'll respect it.'" Harry and Markle's first child, Prince Archie, was born at the property. Years later, after their controversial step down from royal roles, King Charles ordered the couple to fully vacate the residence. At the time, Harry and Markle were already living in California.

Previously, Harry also shared that he felt embarrassed to show Markle his home, Nottingham Cottage, as she likened it to a 'frat house'. In his memoir, the Duke claimed that his London home was no palace. Although he wanted to show it to Markle when they began dating in 2016, he was worried that the small two-bedroom cottage wouldn’t meet her expectations. As reported by the Daily Mail, he wrote, "I was excited to welcome Meg to my home, but also embarrassed. Nott Cott was no palace. Nott Cott was palace adjacent—that was the best you could say for it." The couple stayed at Nottingham Cottage for about a year until they relocated to Frogmore Cottage in April 2019.