Meghan Markle and Prince Harry Repay Public Money on Cottage After Criticism

Meghan Markle and Prince Harry have repaid the public money used to renovate their U.K. home in the latest move to silence their critics.

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex have been under pressure since quitting royal duties to return $3.2 million used to turn Frogmore Cottage into a home fit for a young royal family.

An initial agreement saw the couple making monthly payments on the property to cover both rent and repayment.

However, after signing a Netflix mega-deal estimated at $50 million to $100 million they are now paying off the entire sum.

A spokesperson for the Duke and Duchess of Sussex told Newsweek: "A contribution has been made to the Sovereign Grant by The Duke of Sussex.

"This contribution as originally offered by Prince Harry has fully covered the necessary renovation costs of Frogmore Cottage, a property of Her Majesty The Queen, and will remain the UK residence of The Duke and his family."

The move comes after Newsweek confirmed they are no longer receiving any money from Prince Charles.

Frogmore cottage, set in Home Park, in the shadow of Windsor Castle, was previously divided into a series of apartments where royal staff lived.

A Sussex source told Newsweek: "This was always their intention. There was never any obligation or expectation for them to pay anything back on this.

"There was no request from the household or Crown Estate. It was something they proactively wanted to do.

"Originally it was a payment plan but circumstances changed. They wanted to make this payment in full, which the duke has now done."

Significant building work was needed to turn the Grade II building into a single coherent home complete with a nursery for Archie.

The duke and duchess paid for all fixtures, fittings and interior design themselves but the structural work came out of the royal family's public funding, known as the Sovereign Grant.

Sir Geoffrey Clifton-Brown, MP and chair of the Public Accounts Committee in Parliament, called for the money to be returned over the weekend.

He told the Telegraph: "I've read all the facts of the case and clearly anyone who has borrowed taxpayers' cash needs to pay it back as quickly as possible.

"£2.4 million ($3.2 million) is a lot of money and even if you paid back £250,000 a year it would still take a decade."

When Harry and Meghan announced their departure in January, they posted a statement on their Sussex Royal website confirming their intention to keep Frogmore.

It read: "Frogmore Cottage will continue to be the property of Her Majesty the Queen. The Duke and Duchess of Sussex will continue to use Frogmore Cottage—with the permission of Her Majesty The Queen—as their official residence as they continue to support the Monarchy, and so that their family will always have a place to call home in the United Kingdom."