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This Is How Many Bodyguards Meghan Markle and Prince Harry Have at Their Frogmore Cottage Home

Baby Archie might just be the safest royal on earth.

According to The Daily Mail, Meghan Markle and Prince Harry have stopped at nothing to ramp up security at their new home of Frogmore Cottage, so much so that they have 20 bodyguards on duty, just so they can rest easy.

And that type of solace ain't cheap. Reportedly, the guards, who hail from London's Met Police and the Thames Valley force, cost the British public about £750,000 a year (or about $952,000). 

Retired Chief Superintendent Dai Davies (the former head of royalty protection) told The Daily Mail that "many might question the wisdom of moving out of a perfectly adequately guarded royal residence" in reference to the couple's former home of Kensington Palace.

Another "well-placed" palace source rebutted that argument by saying that "The final figure is excellent value for money for the taxpayer..." and that "the couple have spent £250,000 so far ensuring that the highest standards are met inside the property. Security for the couple is of the utmost importance and a large scale planting programme worth up to £20,000 is proposed to shield the property from the public eye."

The last figure, which equals over $25,000, is in reference to the landscaping plans for Frogmore, which The Daily Mail said reportedly includes outdoor security lights and fast-growing shrubs and trees surrounding the house for added privacy.

The news comes fresh off the release of the royal family's annual financial report (called the Sovereign Grant) that detailed the cost of new home renovations for the Sussexes' Frogmore Cottage. The couple spent £2.4 million (more than $3 million) of public funds on upgrades to the interior, which was originally in "poor condition" and included five smaller separate houses that needed to be joined into one. (And, for perspective, this is actually $2.7 million less than the Cambridges spent on updating Kensington Palace's apartment 1A for Kate, William, George, Charlotte and Louis.)

But, can you really put a price on peace of mind? Uh, yes, you can...and the figure is royally hefty. 


RF1

Director, Branded Content + Cohost, Royally Obsessed Podcast

As Director of Branded Content at Gallery Media Group, Roberta helps oversee the ideation and execution of sponsored content and experiential campaigns across PureWow and ONE37pm...