Prince Harry and Meghan repay British taxpayers for home renovation

LONDON —  Prince Harry and his wife, the former actress Meghan Markle, have repaid $3.2 million in British taxpayer money that was used to renovate the home in Windsor, England, where the couple originally intended to live before they stepped back from royal duties and moved to California.

A spokesman for the couple said the prince made a contribution to the Sovereign Grant, the public money allotted to the royal family, that “fully covered the necessary renovation costs of Frogmore Cottage,” near Windsor Castle, west of London.

The spokesman said Monday that Frogmore Cottage would remain the home of the couple, who are also known as the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, when they visit Britain.

Royal accounts for 2019 show that 2.4 million pounds ($3.2 million) was spent renovating the house, including structural work, rewiring and new flooring. The duke and duchess agreed to pay back the money and start paying rent as part of an agreement drawn up when they stepped back as senior working royals in March.

They recently bought a house in Santa Barbara and last week announced a deal with Netflix to produce several films and series for the streaming service.