Life

4 Things That Meghan & Harry's Neighbors Likely Deal With

by Lia Beck
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This past weekend Meghan Markle and Prince Harry made headlines when a list of rules surfaced that was given to their neighbors about, basically, leaving the couple the hell alone. Buckingham Palace denied that the pair had anything to do with it, telling Us Weekly, "The Duke and Duchess didn’t request this, didn’t know about it, and had nothing to do with the content or guidance offered." Still, being Meghan Markle and Prince Harry's neighbor must be kind of weird, even if they haven't directly requested that you never pet their dogs or only speak to them when spoken to.

When word came out that neighbors had gotten these rules "from" Markle and Harry, one of the sentiments from someone living near Frogmore Cottage who spoke to the press was basically, "Um, I think we know what we're doing. We live on royal grounds."

Frogmore Cottage is located in Home Park, Windsor, land that is owned by the Crown Estate. A resident told The Sun of the rules, "It’s extraordinary. We’ve never heard anything like it. Everyone who lives on the estate works for the royals and knows how to behave respectfully." They added, "We aren’t told how to behave around the Queen like this. She’s very happy for people to greet her."

Well, since Markle and Harry did not put out the rules themselves, they might still be OK with people greeting them, but they are known to like what little privacy they can manage. Maybe living near Markle and Harry won't mean them inviting you over for a cookout, but it could mean these four things.

Spotting The Couple

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Frogmore is right near the actual park of Home Park, so if Markle, Harry, baby Archie, and the dogs venture out, neighbors could see them. Markle did used to go to Whole Foods incognito in London, so she might be up to her old tricks. (Wearing a baseball cap. That's the trick.)

Spotting Other Royals

The location of Frogmore Cottage is such that Markle and Harry aren't just going to happen to step foot out of their front door and see a neighbor coming out at the same time. Their house isn't right next to another one as is the case for many of us. But, if a neighbor is in the right place at the right time, they could potentially see another royal family member arriving to visit the Duke and Duchess. As royal commentator Ingrid Seward told The Sun, "The Queen always chats to neighbours and even has tea with people on the estate as she’s very friendly with them."

Seeing Security

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According to the Daily Mail, Frogmore Cottage requires security from 20 officers from the Met Police and the Thames Valley force. The neighbors could end up seeing this increased security if they walk past the home's grounds.

More Tourists

Frogmore House and Gardens is only open to visitors on three days each year, during which the proceeds for visiting go to charity. The Royal Collection Trust site notes that during August, it's also open to pre-booked groups of 15 or more. The point is, this place is usually kept private, but that doesn't mean tourists in Windsor won't want to take a glance or a photo from afar, and the neighbors will have to deal with that.

None of these factors probably effect daily life that much for the neighbors of Frogmore Cottage. And while Markle and Harry are probably OK with some of the so-called rules (like not offering to babysit Archie), saying "good morning" without first being prompted by the couple is hopefully still fine. Royals or not, they're residents of the neighborhood, too.