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 The sum, part of the annual "Sovereign Grant", funded the
conversion of Frogmore Cottage to a single dwelling while the
royal couple, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, paid for the
fittings and furnishings.
"The property had not been subject of work for some years and
had already been earmarked for renovation in line with out
responsibility to maintain the condition of the occupied royal
palaces estate," said Michael Stevens, the Keeper of the Privy
Purse and responsible for royal accounts.
"Outdated infrastructure was replaced to guarantee the long term
future of the property," he said ahead of the publication of the
Sovereign Grant report which details official income and
expenditure of Queen Elizabeth and her household.
The 19th century Frogmore Cottage, in the grounds of the queen's
Windsor Castle estate, became the official residence of Harry
and Meghan when they moved in shortly before the birth of their
first child, Archie, in May.
The building had been previously converted into five separate
residences and royal officials had already planned to renovate
it before it was agreed that it would become the residence of
Harry and Meghan.
The six-month refurbishment included new electrical wiring,
replacement of defective ceiling beams and floor joists, new
heating systems and the introduction of new gas and water mains.
A palace source, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the
taxpayer grant covered the basic cost for kitchens, bathrooms
and flooring with additional outlays for anything more bespoke
being met privately by the royals who also paid for items such
as curtains and furnishings.
British newspapers have reported that among the changes, the
cottage now has a "floating floor" and a yoga studio.
Work has been "substantially" completed and outstanding
renovations would not feature in next year's annual report,
meaning the cost would be under the 350,000 pound threshold to
be included in the public report.
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The queen was very involved in the decision to allow the couple to
use Frogmore Cottage and had been kept informed of the progress of
the project throughout, the source said.
Harry, 34, and Meghan, 37, had been living in a residence in the
grounds of Kensington Palace, the London home of his elder brother
Prince William and his wife Kate.
But since their marriage in May last year, they have been forging
their own path, separating their household from William and Kate's
and relocating their staff to Buckingham Palace. Last week, it was
announced that they were splitting from the charitable foundation
the two couples had shared.
The outlay on Frogmore Cottage formed part of the 82.2 million pound
Sovereign Grant, the government handout which covers the official
duties of Queen Elizabeth including staffing costs, upkeep of royal
palaces and travel expenses.
It is based on 15 percent of surplus revenue from the Crown Estate,
a property portfolio belonging to the monarchy, from two years
previously. In 2016, this percentage was raised to 25 percent for a
decade with the extra set aside to pay for an ongoing major overhaul
of Buckingham Palace.
That 10-year 369 million-pound upgrade work to replace aging
electrical wiring and heating systems at the palace was on track,
Stevens said.
Graham Smith, from Republic which wants to abolish the monarchy,
said his campaign group estimated the real cost of the royal family
each year was 345 million pounds.
"If even one school or hospital is facing cuts we cannot justify
spending a penny on the royals," he said. "Yet with all public
services under intense financial pressure we throw 2.4 million
pounds at a new house for Harry."
(Editing by Guy Faulconbridge)
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