Meghan Markle and Prince Harry's Eviction from U.K. Home Is 'Just the Start' of King Charles' Slim-Down Plan
According to a new report, King Charles plans to eradicate subsidized rent for royals and cut staff
Meghan Markle and Prince Harry being asked to leave their U.K. home is the "tip of the iceberg" when it comes to King Charles' plan to slim-down the monarchy and cut spending on the royal family.
According to a report published Friday by the Evening Standard, sources said the recent announcement that the Duke and Duchess of Sussex would leave Frogmore Cottage was "just the start" of the King's coming changes. A spokesperson for the couple's Archewell Foundation told PEOPLE earlier this month that Prince Harry, 38, and Meghan, 41, were "requested to vacate their residence at Frogmore Cottage." The couple relocated their family to Meghan's home state of California in 2020 after stepping back as working members of the royal family.
The Evening Standard reports King Charles, 74, wants to reduce the number of members of the royal family dependent financially on the monarchy, including them paying for their own housing with subsidized rents eradicated over time.
A source told the outlet, "The King is not some sort of housing association for distant relatives."
The source also said that properties will be rented at commercial rates, including to people "outside the family" with a vetting process for security reasons.
Related:King Charles III's Coronation: Everything to Know About the Ceremony and Celebration
King Charles and Queen Camilla, 75, also plan to cut the number of staff positions. However, they want to pay palace staff competitive salaries and pensions to ensure the most capable employees.
An insider told the Evening Standard, "The staffing has been on the top-heavy side. That has built up over time, with advisers to advisers and so on. That's all going to stop. The boss wants effective people in effective positions doing effective jobs being paid appropriately."
The outlet also reported that King Charles is working closely with Prince William, his heir, to make changes to make the monarchy "fit for purpose."
Soon after Queen Elizabeth's death in September, dozens of employees from King Charles' household were alerted of potential termination.
"Following last week's accession, the operations of the household of the former Prince of Wales and Duchess of Cornwall have ceased and, as required by law, a consultation process has begun," a Clarence House spokesman told The Guardian. "Our staff have given long and loyal service and, while some redundancies will be unavoidable, we are working urgently to identify alternative roles for the greatest number of staff."
A Twitter user shared a photo of their contract from when they joined the royal household, showing that there is a clause about possible termination after the death of a monarch.
Those who were let go were expected to be given an increased redundancy payment as well as assistance in finding new jobs.
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King Charles' coronation on May 6 is also expected to be smaller than his mother's crowning ceremony in 1953. While 8,000 people packed into stands for Queen Elizabeth's three-hour coronation, her son will reportedly trim the guest list to Westminster Abbey's actual capacity of 2,000 for an hour-long ceremony.
"The Coronation will reflect the monarch's role today and look towards the future, while being rooted in longstanding traditions and pageantry," Buckingham Palace previously said.
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