BEING in the royal family certainly has its perks – particularly when it comes to living in palaces and mansions.
When Princess Beatrice was just nine years old she was given a swanky £1.5million pad from the late Queen – but Fergie ended up giving it back.
Beatrice and sister Eugenie were gifted the Grade II-listed Birch Hall in 1997 following their parents – Prince Andrew and Sarah Ferguson – finalising their divorce the year before.
The Surrey-based home was a pad many would dream of, with seven bedrooms, five acres of land, an outdoor heated swimming pool and a tennis court.
Inside, it also had five living rooms and four bathrooms, and was certainly fit for royalty.
If that wasn’t enough, the home also came with a separate two-bedroom cottage for staff on the grounds.
Birch Hall may sound like the perfect pad for a princess, but Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie never got to live there.
The Queen instructed that the home be bought by trustees on behalf of the Queen, but Fergie ended up declining the offer.
She was reportedly concerned as to how she would afford the running costs and upkeep of the swanky home.
Instead, the family continued to live together at Sunninghill Park and then Royal Lodge, despite Andrew and Sarah being no longer married.
The Duke and Duchess of York still live in the Windsor-based property together in separate wings and are said to be harmonious.
After the rejection of Birch Hall, it was sold in 1999 and estate agents said it was “due to a change of circumstance”.
It is thought the cash from the sale was placed in a trust for Eugenie and Beatrice to use at a later date.
The home has since gone on to boom in value, and in 2016 was put on the market again for £4.2million.
The owners had also updated the property in that time, adding an orangery, games room and a home gym.
Andrew Russell from estate agency Strutt and Parker told the Daily Mail: “It’s probably one of the very best of north Surrey’s village houses, there’s not that many that come on the market.
“It’s a proper country house with five acres of grounds. The house itself is a very attractive and imposing-looking property.
“Some of the rooms are really quite dramatic, with high ceilings and full floor-to-ceiling sash windows.
“It’s got a swimming pool, tennis court and beautiful specimen trees dating from Victorian times in the garden.”
Over the years, the Queen‘s granddaughters have often spoken about their incredible bond and have previously described themselves as “each other’s rocks.”
Princess Beatrice was the first child born to the Duke and Duchess of York – Prince Andrew and Sarah Ferguson – back on August 8, 1988.
The Duchess gave birth at London’s Portland Hospital for Women and Children, and Beatrice’s full name was announced as Beatrice Elizabeth Mary almost two weeks later.
The couple – who divorced in 1996 – then welcomed Princess Eugenie, whose full name is Eugenie Victoria Helena, on March 23, 1990.
As a result of their close bond, it’s no surprise that back in 2018, as Eugenie made her way down to Windsor Castle for her royal nuptials, her maid of honour Beatrice was firmly by her side.
When asked about her maid of honour by TLC, Princess Eugenie said, “I can’t think of anyone I’d want by my side other than her.”
Meanwhile, since their marriage in 2020, Princess Beatrice, who turns 36 today, and Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi, 40, have lived in a four-bed apartment in St James’s Palace, with two-year-old daughter Sienna and Edoardo’s older child, Wolfie.
The royal couple have also purchased a sprawling farmhouse in the Cotswolds for £3.5million two years ago, which they have been renovating since.
It boasts six bedrooms and they’re even turning an outhouse into a swanky new guest house – just in case they needed any more space.
They reportedly also have plans for a party barn for entertaining, as well as a six-foot security fence around their property for total privacy.
Meanwhile, Princess Eugenie is now 34 and lives in a jaw-dropping location outside of the UK.
The King’s niece, her husband Jack Brooksbank and their children reside in a luxury golf and ocean club in Portugal.
Princess Eugenie, Jack, August, two, and baby Ernest are said to be splitting their time between living at the CostaTerra Golf and Ocean Club and their life back in the UK.
When they are back in England, they often stay at Kensington Palace, with the royal revealing on the Table Manners podcast the process of getting a Deliveroo takeaway inside.
The reason for the move to Portugal is Jack’s job, as he has been doing marketing, sales and promotion for property entrepreneur Mike Meldman, who is managing the 300-home development there.
According to its website, CostaTerra “offers a wide range of real estate options, from large estate homesites to contemporary coastal villas, turnkey club residences and custom luxury homes”.
And the club – dubbed the “Hamptons of Western Europe” – is certainly an ideal hub for an A-lister boasting luxury amenities such as an 18-hole golf course, spa and equestrian centre.
If that wasn’t enough, there are also private surf lessons, paddleboarding and catamaran trips where you go dolphin-watching.
Meghan Markle and Prince Harry are said to have stayed at the resort and visited Eugenie after the Invictus Games.
