CELEBRITY
HEIR BNB: Holiday home at £26 a night to luxury lodge… Inside Royal residences you can rent & the bizarre rules at exotic castle: King Charles passed a huge property portfolio to Prince William after becoming King
IT’S not often you get the chance to live like a king – unless you rent out one of the Royal family’s many properties.
King Charles is hoping to allow a lucky family the chance to lease the Royal Lodge – once he’s finally removed Prince Andrew from it. The Duke of York, 64, currently resides in the 30-room lodge and is said to be struggling with the upkeep it requires – having already poured £7.5million into repairs.
The monarch, 75, hopes to command around £1million for the rental if he is successful with his plans. An insider said: “It makes sense for Royal Lodge to be handed back to Crown Estates, which can pay for the much-needed repairs and renovations. “It could then be rented to earn money for them, the King’s coffers and the country rather than being a drain on everyone’s resources.”
Leasing out the sprawling home would follow in the Royal family’s tradition of renting out properties – including some on their private family estates. While some are as pricey as you’d expect for a royal residence, others are on offer for as little as £26-per-night. The Sun looks at the huge portfolio of properties owned by the crown.
The Scottish hideaway was a favourite of late Queen Elizabeth II, who died there in 2022. It was originally purchased by Queen Victoria and Prince Albert who fell in love with the Scottish highlands in 1842. Within the sprawling estate, spanning 50,000 acres, there are eight different locations where members of the public can stay. The most affordable options are the Colt Cottages which are situated up near the castle where the Royals stay.
Karim, Garbh Allt Shiel, Sterinbeg, and Tigh Na Garaidh make up the collection, are all self-catering and can each sleep up to five people. Prices range from £645 in the smallest cottage during off-peak season to £1975 in one of the larger cottages during the Christmas period. Also, available to rent are Connachat Cottage, Karim Cottage, Knocks Cottage and Rhebreck Lodge. They are situated across the Balmoral estate and the largest accommodates eight people.