The Royals and residences that may be at risk under Charles’ slimmed-down monarchy: From Andrew’s £30m Royal Lodge to Highgrove and even Lady Louise’s prized ponies
- READ MORE: Royal expert reveals why the Sussexes may avoid the Coronation
While Prince of Wales, Charles was vocal about his desire for a ‘slimmed-down’ monarchy that would cost less to run.
As King, he is finally able to put these plans into practice – throwing the future of millions’ of pounds worth of royal properties and possessions into question.
The monarch is said to have started with Prince Andrew, who fears his older brother is trying to force him out of the £30million Royal Lodge in Windsor Great Park by slashing his annual grant.
A furious Duke of York is telling friends that without hundreds of thousands of pounds a year from his older brother, he will be unable to maintain Royal Lodge and will have to move out by September.
King Charles is believed to be reviewing the future of some of the Royal Family’s best known properties
‘Victim’ of the revolution: Prince Andrew fears he could be forced out of the £30million Royal Lodge in Windsor Great Park
The Duke formerly relied on the generosity of the late Queen to support him with private funds from the Duchy of Lancaster, last reported at £249,000 a year.
But it is understood that in the past few weeks all members of the Royal Family have been told to tighten their belts and to expect less money from the Duchy – now owned by Charles – than in the past.
The King’s belt-tightening may even lead to the sale of two Fell ponies which are currently used to pull a carriage previously owned by the Duke of Edinburgh.
The animals were inherited by Lady Louise Windsor, the elder daughter of the Earl and Countess of Wessex, but Charles ‘doesn’t feel like he should pay for their upkeep’, according to a source.
It is understood that in the past few weeks all members of the Royal Family have been told to tighten their belts. Ponies owned by Lady Louise Windsor, 17, may fall victim to the squeeze
The young royal inherited the two black ponies – Balmoral Nevis and Notlaw Storm – from Prince Philip
The most obvious potential victims of the palace revolution are the many Royal properties.
Aside from the London palaces and the Windsor estate, the King alone has Sandringham, Balmoral, Birkhall, The Castle of Mey, Highgrove and a cottage in Wales plus properties in rural Transylvania.
The King has held meetings with the Prince of Wales and Sir Michael Stevens, the Keeper of the Privy Purse, about their future use, the Mail On Sunday understands.
Here are some of the iconic properties whose future is now in doubt –
Balmoral Castle estate: £98.1m
The castle in Aberdeenshire was famously beloved of the Queen, whose coffin rested overnight in its oak-panelled throne room before heading south for her funeral in London.
Located on a vast 50,000-acre estate, Balmoral has been the Scottish home of the Royal Family since it was purchased for Queen Victoria by Prince Albert in 1852, and includes a whopping 52 bedrooms.
According to insiders, King Charles is planning to open the castle to the public so they can tour its hundreds of rooms and view an exhibition paying tribute to his mother’s extraordinary 70-year reign.
Balmoral has been the Scottish home of the Royal Family since it was purchased for Queen Victoria by Prince Albert in 1852, and includes a whopping 52 bedrooms
The exhibition would offer an opportunity to display some of the Royal jewellery collection and the outfits worn by the Queen at pivotal moments in history.
It would also honour her connection to Scotland, while making good use of the grounds and maintaining staff numbers at the estate.
Charles is unlikely to require large living quarters in the castle, where the Queen famously spent her summer holidays and is worth an estimated £98.1m, according to Forbes.
King Charles has plans to turn Balmoral into a museum in honour of his mother. Pictured: Queen Elizabeth, Prince Philip and their children at their beloved Scottish residence in 1960
Birkhall
Charles inherited Birkhall from the Queen Mother in 2002. Located on the Balmoral estate, it is one of the few places where he is said to feel at home.
The house is seven miles from the main castle along the banks of the picturesque River Muick.
The property was built in 1715 and acquired by Prince Albert in 1849 alongside the rest of the Balmoral Castle estate.
Birkhall is a house on the Balmoral estate located seven miles from the main castle along the banks of the picturesque River Muick
Camilla and Charles posed with the two dogs in a recent photograph taken on the steps of Birkhall to celebrate their 15th wedding anniversary
Highgrove: £32.4m
Located near Tetbury in Gloucestershire, Highgrove is said to be King Charles’ favourite residence.
The nine-bedroom Georgian mansion was once home to Maurice Macmillan, son of the former Prime Minister Harold Macmillan, and has beautiful interiors by the late decorator Robert Kime.
During the early years of Charles’ marriage to Princess Diana it was their weekend home, but the Princess never returned after their separation in 1992.
Highgrove, near Tetbury in Gloucestershire, is said to be King Charles’ favourite residence
It is where the monarch developed his love of gardening, with a stunning transformation of the neglected grounds which now attract 30,000 visitors a year.
The restoration of its gardens has been a passion project for Charles, who keeps bees there, and sells jars of their honey for £25 a time.
The estate, which is now technically owned by Prince William, is also close to Queen Consort Camilla’s personal home Ray Mill House in Reybridge near Lacock, Wiltshire – and is now a place the King and his wife deeply cherish.
Prince Charles and the late Princess Diana with Prince William and Harry in the gardens of Highgrove
Sandringham: £60.7m
Sandringham House has been the private home of four generations of British monarchs for more than 160 years, and now belongs to King Charles.
The property traditionally plays host to royal Christmas celebrations, while the late Queen celebrated the eve of her Platinum Jubilee there just seven months before her death.
It was bought in 1862 by the then Prince of Wales, who later became Edward VII, as a private country retreat, before being rebuilt in 1870 to ensure it was big enough for his growing family.
Sandringham traditionally plays host to royal Christmas celebrations, while the late Queen celebrated the eve of her Platinum Jubilee there just seven months before her death
George V, the Queen’s grandfather, described the house as ‘Dear old Sandringham, the place I love better than anywhere else in the world’.
George VI, the Queen’s father, wrote: ‘I have always been so happy here and I love the place.’
In the aftermath of Queen Elizabeth II’s death, the Prince and Princess of Wales viewed floral tributes left by members of the public at its gates.
The Prince and Princess of Wales walking to St Mary Magdalene Church on the Sandringham estate on Christmas Day
Royal Lodge, Windsor: £30m
The Grade II-listed property in Windsor Great Park was the official residence of the Queen Mother from 1952 until she died there in 2002.
The house – which dates back to the 17th century and comes with a swimming pool and 98 acres of land – has been Prince Andrew’s main residence since 2004.
Andrew bought a 75-year lease on Royal Lodge for £1million on condition he carry out significant refurbishments – which have already cost him millions of pounds.
However, the Duke is said to fear he will be unable to afford to carry out more work after his public funding was cut when he stepped down from Royal duties in 2019.
The Royal Lodge – which dates back to the 17th century and comes with a swimming pool, 98 acres of land – has been Prince Andrew’s main residence since 2004
The Castle of Mey: £98.1m
The Castle of Mey was owned by the Queen Mother and the Queen from 1952 until 1996, when it was gifted to the public as a historic building.
It was a particular favourite of the Queen Mother, who used the Caithness property to entertain friends and escape the hustle and bustle of London.
In 2019, the Duke enjoyed a tour of a new luxury guesthouse on the estate which is now open to paying visitors.
The castle is thought to date back to the 16th century and includes fine views of the Orkney Islands.
The Castle of Mey was a particular favourite of the Queen Mother, who used the Caithness property to entertain friends and escape the hustle and bustle of London
Llwynywermod: £3.24
Llwynywermod near the Brecon Beacons features an 192-acre estate containing two holiday cottages.
The estate’s three-bedroom farmhouse has been King Charles and Queen Consort Camilla’s country retreat in Wales since March 2007, and was where Charles spent time following the death of his father, Prince Philip.
The property was once-available to rent for holidaymakers, with a week’s stay at North Range or West Range costing from £550 up to £1,2000 depending on the time of year, but appears to have been removed.
This three-bedroom farmhouse on the Llwynywermod estate in Wales was where King Charles retreated following the death of his father, Prince Philip
Images shared by the couple shortly after they renovated the farmhouse in 2008 show its pared back interiors and simple yet stunning decor, including a beautiful vaulted dining hall.
It took Charles and Camilla three years to find the property, which they purchased in 2007.
Builders renovating the home in 2008 used sustainable products for the makeover and Camilla chose the colour scheme of duck egg blue, off whites and terracotta.
One of the understated guest bedrooms in the £1.2million property in rural Wales
Transylvania cottages: £1.83m
King Charles fell in love with Transylvania when he first visited the region in Romania in 1998 and now owns two properties there.
His first house sits in the Saxon town of Viscri, which is now listed as a World Heritage Site.
The Blue House, as it is known, boasts three double bedrooms, two bathrooms and a kitchen, with vegetables growing in the garden, beams painted with delicate patterns and the outside walls painted a distinctive blue.
King Charles fell in love with Transylvania when he first visited the region in Romania in 1998 and now owns two properties there, including The Blue House in the town of Viscri
However, it comes without the addition of modern heating, which may explain why the Prince stays away come the winter.
Four years after rescuing the cottage in Viscri in 2006, he looked east to the tiny farming village of Zalanpatak, where he bought a home that previously belonged to a judge.
He now also lets out the second property to help bring more visitors to the area.
Charles’ second Transylvanian property in the tiny woodland village of Zalanpatak
Source: Read Full Article
