Britain's Prince Harry has reportedly repaid the GBP 2.4 million pound refurbishment cost for a cottage on the grounds of Queen Elizabeth II's Windsor estate, the family home he shares with wife Meghan Markle.
Frogmore Cottage has an Indian connection dating back to the Raj when it was presented as a royal gift to Abdul Karim by Queen Victoria, then Empress of India, as a sign of her affection for her Indian aide and confidant.
In 2018, the current Queen presented the cottage to Prince Harry and Meghan Markle as a wedding gift. The couple lived in the cottage briefly with their newborn baby Archie before permanently moving to the US earlier this year as they stepped back as frontline royals.
A spokesperson for Prince Harry confirmed that he had made a payment into the Sovereign Grant to cover the taxpayer-funded refurbishment costs, an issue that had been played up by sections of the British media.
"A contribution has been made to the Sovereign Grant by the Duke of Sussex," the spokesperson said.
"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 spokesperson said.
The announcement comes days after Prince Harry and his wife Meghan struck a GBP 112-million pound deal with streaming giant Netflix to create "content that informs but also gives hope".
Frogmore Cottage is a Grade II listed historic property that Queen Victoria presented to Adul Karim, whom the then monarch referred to as her "Munshi" and Urdu teacher.
He was just 24 when he arrived in England from Agra to present Queen Victoria with a special mohur or gold coin to mark her Golden Jubilee in 1887. He quickly grew close to the ageing monarch, who bestowed many gifts on him, including the cottage.