It's my understanding that as a Crown-owned property it was on the list of properties to be renovated. However, I do believe that the timetable for that renovation was possibly pushed up for Harry and Meghan to be able to move into the property. That's really neither here nor there, though. Either way, it is a Crown-owned property that was on the renovation schedule as many Crown-owned properties are. I think the consternation from many posters here, myself included really, is that as a run down and empty property simply waiting its turn to be renovated it really wasn't doing anyone any good but neither was it really doing any harm. Just sitting in the queue, basically. Now the timetable was bumped it, the money was spent, it's by all accounts a beautifully done property that is 100% ready for occupancy and now it's once again sitting empty.
If the property had been earmarked for Harry and Meghan but the renovations had not yet taken place and they'd decided to leave then fine, allow it to continue to remain empty until its turn came up for renovations. But, since it was already bumped up on the list and done up for them, it's really a shame to let all of that go to waste and just have it there empty when someone else would appreciate living in a newly renovated and quite peaceful (as I understand it anyway) home.