Why Princess Eugenie and husband Jack will want to live in Harry and Meghan's home

Princess Eugenie and her husband Jack Brooksbank have moved into Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s former home in Windsor.

Harry and Meghan were given Frogmore Cottage by the Queen as a wedding present when they tied the knot in May 2018.

But since they have moved to California, it has stood empty.

The two couples have now entered into a private agreement for Eugenie and Brooksbank to live there. The couple will be making a similar move to Harry and Meghan, trading an apartment in Kensington Palace for the countryside cottage.

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Eugenie and Brooksbank are expecting their first baby next year, and so the move comes in time for Christmas and to prepare for their little one.

But what is it about the Windsor address that has made Princess Eugenie want to move there?

Close to Mum and Dad

Princess Eugenie is the daughter of Prince Andrew and Sarah Ferguson.

Andrew and Ferguson divorced in 1992, but they now live together again - and the set up seems to work for them.

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The former couple live in the Royal Lodge, which is about four miles away from Frogmore Cottage.

Over the summer, Ferguson shared a picture of herself, Andrew, Eugenie, and her older daughter Beatrice - and praised their ‘united family’.

With a baby on the way for Eugenie and Jack, she will value being closer to her mum and dad.

Depending on lockdown rules, proud grandma-to-be Ferguson could be in their bubble for childcare support.

But even if that’s not allowed, mother and daughter would be able to go for walks together in the Windsor grounds.

Close to Granny

While Ferguson and Andrew are more likely to be on hand for any babysitting, the other advantage of Windsor for Eugenie is being close to Granny and Grandpa.

The Queen and Prince Philip are about a mile (as the crow flies) away in Windsor Castle, where they spent the first lockdown and where they moved back to in September after a summer in Balmoral.

Eugenie’s baby will be the Queen and the Duke’s ninth great-grandchild, so there’s nothing new there, but the Queen and Eugenie are thought to share a close bond.

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In 2016, Eugenie spoke affectionately about her grandparents for an ITV documentary celebrating the Queen at 90.

Talking about the annual summer break to Scotland, she said: “It's the most beautiful place on Earth.

“I think Granny is the most happy there, I think she really, really loves the Highlands... Walks, picnics, dogs—a lot of dogs, there's always dogs!—and people coming in and out all the time. Family-wise we're all there, so it's a lovely base for Granny and Grandpa to be—for us to come and see them up there, where you just have room to breathe and run.”

Ready for baby

When Harry and Meghan moved into Frogmore Cottage, they were expecting baby Archie and the home was renovated.

This means Eugenie and Brooksbank can rest easy that the house is baby proof and tick lots of things off their to do list.

The princess and her husband might be moving in lots of their own furniture in though, as it’s reported Harry and Meghan moved theirs out in the last few weeks.

It gives them the chance to put their own stamp on it too.

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Guaranteed visitors

When Harry and Meghan moved to the US, they said Frogmore Cottage would remain their UK home.

There is speculation that the offer to rent it to Eugenie and Jack shows they don’t want to come back, with their work in the US keeping them too busy for a trip across the pond.

But cousins Eugenie and Harry have always been close.

If Eugenie and Jack are still there when Prince Harry and Meghan do come back, it would be a great time for them to catch-up and for the children to get to know each other too.

After all, given the cottage was once five separate apartments, there’s probably more than enough room for both families to be there at once.