Buckingham Palace 'would cost more than £2.5m to rent each month'
It would cost more than £2.5m a month to rent Buckingham Palace according to a study by a residential rental company.
The London palace, which is the main home for the Queen most of the time, would set a renter back an estimated £2,550,018 each month were it to come onto the market, experts from UNCLE found.
At the other end of the spectrum, Prince Harry and Meghan's two royal homes were estimated to cost the least each month.
Frogmore Cottage, which they were given by the Queen when they got married, would cost £17,650 each month, while Nottingham Cottage, in Kensington, would cost a mere £7,760 a month, UNCLE worked out.
Nottingham Cottage was where the couple lived before they were married. Frogmore, in Windsor, is now believed to be home to Princess Eugenie and her husband Jack Brooksbank, after they welcomed their son August.
The monthly figures were calculated by looking at floor plans to work out the total size of the properties, and using the average cost per square metre of properties in the same area to calculate what the royal home would command.
Nottingham Cottage and Frogmore are cheapest because they have the least number of rooms out of all royal residences.
Nottingham Cottage has two bedrooms, and Frogmore has nine, while Buckingham Palace has 775 rooms.
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Ryan Prince, founder at UNCLE said: "The idea of living like royalty is a concept that fascinates many, with TV shows such as The Crown giving us a glimpse into the life of a royal family member. Whether a royal palace, regal castle or a majestic stately home, we wanted to reveal how much it would cost for you to live for a month in luxury like a royal – if they were ever to be up for rent, that is.
"With many of the royal residences being based in the capital, living in these desirable central London locations comes hand-in-hand with a hefty price tag. Even the cheapest royal properties on the ranking, such as Nottingham Cottage in Kensington, would cost you north of £93,000 to rent for one year – that’s triple the average UK annual salary.
"But living like a Queen compared to a Duke and Duchess will come at a much higher price, with our data putting a £2.6 million price mark on renting Buckingham Palace per month, which equals to £30.6 million for the year. Even if the opportunity ever arose to rent a royal residence, the cost is wildly unattainable for most and so we think we’ll have to stick to admiring these magnificent palaces from afar."
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After Buckingham Palace, the second most expensive royal residence was St James's Palace, which is the official residence of Princess Anne, though it mostly houses her offices.
It would cost £1,734,713 a month, according to UNCLE estimates.
Third in the list was Windsor Castle, where the Queen has been living since March 2020, when she moved out from Buckingham Palace as the country went into lockdown.
Her second home, which is usually where she spends weekends, would be £1,314,741 a month. It has 1,000 rooms, and is also home to St George's Chapel, where Prince Philip's funeral was held.
The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge had the most expensive home of any of the Queen's grandchildren, with their home at Kensington Palace commanding an estimated £175,697 a month if it were to be rented.
Prince William and Kate live in the 30 room, 4,000 square metre property with their three children, Princes George and Louis and Princess Charlotte.
Their Norfolk home of Anmer Hall came in at number 11 on the list, estimated to be £44,160 a month in rent.
Anmer Hall is on the Sandringham Estate, and was given to the couple as a wedding present in 2011.
They lived there for several years as their main home in the early years of their marriage, including with a young Prince George, who went to nursery in Norfolk.
Sandringham House itself, where the Queen and the Royal Family usually spend Christmas, was eighth, estimated to cost £78,257 a month.
Balmoral, the favoured Scottish home for summer holidays, was an estimated £82,200 a month.
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Prince Charles's main London home, Clarence House, was sixth on the list, estimated to be worth £87,799 a month in rent. It was just beaten by the Palace of Holyroodhouse, the Queen's official Scottish residence, which was fifth at £133,429 a month.
At 7242 square metres Balmoral is better value than Clarence House, which is 1552 square metres.
Prince Charles's Highgrove House, which is where he has been living since last summer, would bring in £73,208 a month.
Meanwhile also in Gloucestershire, Princess Anne's Gatcombe Park would set a renter back £43,076 a month.
Of course it's highly unlikely that a main royal residence will ever be available for rent - though the Duchy of Cornwall, which Prince Charles manages, does have its own holiday homes.
Many of the palaces, including Windsor Castle and Buckingham Palace, are open to tourists at certain points during the year.
In 2021, the Queen will also allow picnics in the Buckingham Palace garden for the first time.
Watch: Queen hosts lunch for Commonwealth leaders at the Palace
