The Telegraph’s Vicky Ward had an interesting piece on King Charles evicting the Duke and Duchess of Sussex from Frogmore Cottage. Some of the information has been reported elsewhere, like the fact that the Sussexes were told about the eviction the day after Spare was released. But the Telegraph’s sources indicate that in the past two months, there’s been a lot of back-and-forth between Buckingham Palace and Montecito, and there are still things left to negotiate, like whether or not Charles has to pay the Sussexes for what they put into Frogmore. Some highlights:

The Sussexes weren’t told that Charles offered Frogmore to Prince Andrew: The Sussexes were said to have been disappointed when told they were being evicted from the property in January, three years after announcing that they were quitting royal duties and relocating abroad. However, the revelation that the King has offered the Duke of York their much-loved home, which they carefully renovated to their own personal taste, will only serve to aggravate what have already been “difficult” talks.

Recent discussions: The King asked the Sussexes to vacate their five-bedroom Georgian cottage around the time that Spare, the Duke’s memoir, was published in the New Year, but discussions have only recently gathered pace. A friend admitted that the decision had not been welcomed by the couple, noting that they had “made that place their home”. The Sussexes consider the cottage, which is ensconced on the Windsor estate, the “only place that’s left as a safe space” for them and their children, Archie, three, and Lilibet, one, in the UK – not least given the ongoing legal row over the Government’s decision to withdraw their right to automatic state-funded security.

The Frogmore mess is indicative of the larger issues between Harry & Charles: “There has been no embrace,” one source observed. “If anyone was going to try and pretend things were rosy, this somewhat blows the cover.”

Complications: The couple are understood to be upset but accepting of the decision and appreciate that they are “exceptionally privileged” with a roof over their heads. However, it does “complicate” whether they will feel able to return to the UK or bring their children, in the future.

Will the Sussexes get their money back? The private money the couple ploughed into the property, and potential recompense, is understood to form part of the ongoing negotiations.

Sidelining a Counsellor of State: By maintaining a UK address, the Duke qualified as being “domiciled” in Britain and so remained eligible to serve as a Counsellors of State, a position for which he is now expected to be sidelined.

[From The Telegraph]

“The ongoing legal row over the Government’s decision to withdraw their right to automatic state-funded security…” The legal row is actually over whether Harry has the right to get security AND PAY THE POLICE FOR THAT SECURITY. Otherwise, it speaks volumes about Charles that he raged out and evicted the Sussexes back in January and never told them that he intended to put Andrew in their home. I’m also bothered by this: “The private money the couple ploughed into the property, and potential recompense, is understood to form part of the ongoing negotiations.” As in, Charles has taken the position that the Sussexes should not get that money back, that they in effect donated $3.1 million to the Windsor estate and now he gets to put Andrew in there.

Also: again, no one is saying that Charles has offered the Sussexes any permanent or temporary home if or when they want to visit. Charles is making it perfectly clear: this is a plain eviction, a churlish tantrum from a king, ordering the Sussexes to never come back. Such a loving grandfather!

Photos courtesy of Backgrid, Netflix.