Holiday home at £26 a night to luxury lodge… Inside Royal residences you can rent & the bizarre rules at exotic castle
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.
Balmoral Estate, Aberdeenshire
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.
Castle of Mey, Scottish Highlands
Another royal Scottish property is the Castle Of Mey which was bought and renovated by the late Queen Mother, Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon.
While holidaymakers can’t stay in the castle itself, they can rent out the Captain’s House for a self catering trip.
The three-bed house overlooks the Pentland Firth towards Orkney, and the website claims the Queen Mother “often enjoyed a picnic lunch” nearby.
Prices start from around £450 per week.
Alternatively, guests can stay at the Granary Lodge, which brands itself a luxury bed and breakfast, with prices for a room starting from £247 per night.
Zalan Guest House, Romania
King Charles has expanded his property portfolio outside the UK with a Romanian house.
The Zalan guest house in Transylvania – home of legendary vampire Dracula – is open to the public when he isn’t in residence.
The monarch first visited the area in 1998 and fell in love with it, leading to him purchasing a home there.
Since buying the property, he has renovated and restored it using traditional methods and materials.
All the rooms are furnished with antique furniture and there are no TVs or radios – instead, books are on offer.
Royal Lodge
Prince Andrew is currently living in the Royal Lodge in Windsor Park with his ex-wife Sarah Ferguson.
The Duke of York was granted the 30-room home back in 2004 to make it his family home with daughters Princess Eugenie and Princess Beatrice.
It was the residence of his grandmother, the Queen Mother, from 1952 until her death in 2002.
Queen Elizabeth II and her sister Margaret spent much of their young childhood growing up in the lodge.
The huge home boasts grounds of 98 acres and Andrew is often spotted out riding in them.
Also in the grounds isY Bwthyn Bach – a tiny cottage that was given to then-Princess Elizabeth as a young child in 1932 by the people of Wales.
The top two floors are made up of seven bedrooms, while downstairs there are sitting rooms, a large drawing room and a conservatory.
He is understood to have leased the lodge from the Crown Estate for a one-off payment of £1million in 2003 – with his lease lasting 75 years.
It meant that he agreed to carry out any patience and refurbishment at his own expense.
The Duke is understood to have spent around £7million on the dilapidating property over the years.
His youngest daughter, Princess Eugenie, held her wedding reception at the home in 2018 after getting married at nearby Windsor Castle.
There are seven rooms available, which can all be booked as B&B or full board.
Guests are expected to dine together unless they’ve stated other intentions in their booking.
The website states: “Meeting like-minded travellers from all around the world is one of the special features of this place. Meals are mostly taken along with other guests, unless desired separately.”
Prices start from 120 euros for the smallest room as a bed and breakfast, through to 390 euro for The Prince’s Room on an all-inclusive rate.
Proceeds of any bookings then go to The Prince of Wales Foundation in Romania.
Charles’ farmhouse, Carmarthenshire
The Duchy of Cornwall, now owned by Prince William, owns a large farmhouse in Wales that he rents out for between £1,400 to £2,400 a week depending on the time of year.
Llwynywermod near Llandovery, is where King Charles and Camilla have spent many summer holidays over the years.
It was bought by the King as part of the Duchy of Cornwall before it passed to William last year.
The monarch oversaw extensive restorations to the property and it also has huge gardens providing produce for the house.
The property is made up of a main house, three cottages and a Grade-II listed barn nestled in 192 acres of countryside.
It is the cottages that are rented out to the public rather than the main house.
The original owner, William Williams in the 13th or 14th century, was related to Anne Boleyn.
Cornish Cottages
Prince William also inherited a series of rental cottages in Cornwall from his father upon his accession as Prince of Wales.
They are one section of his £1billion property portfolio, spread over 23 counties in England and Wales.
It ranges from luxurious properties to some that can accommodate families on a budget.
Prince William slashed prices at several of the properties in a bid to make getting away more appealing to families hit by the cost of living crisis.
A week’s stay in one of the Prince of Wales‘ Cornish rentals can cost as low as £614 for four people – £21 a night per head, or £42 a couple.
Pawton Mill Farmhouse, near Padstow, is one of the affordable holiday lets on offer costing between £615 to £1,255 to rent for a whole week, depending on time of year.
It has three bedrooms, a cosy living room with a fireplace and a large three-part garden.
Also among the collection is four-bed Tamarisk House in St Mary’s in the Isle of Scilly.
It comes with panoramic views, a large patio and BBQ for al-fresco dining and the beds are made up with luxurious Egyptian cotton linen.
Staying for a week costs between £1,350 to £3,700.
The most lavish home in the collection is Restormel Manor, near Bodmin, which boasts nine bedrooms – accommodating 18 guests.
It costs between 4,555 and £8,540 to rent for a week and includes an indoor heated swimming pool, a sauna, games room and tennis court.
Osborne House, Isle of Wight
Former royal residence Osborne House boasts three rental properties and used to be a favoured home of Queen Victoria and Prince Albert.
While it is no longer owned by the royal family, members of the public can stay on the grounds in either No 1 Sovereign’s Gate and No 2 Sovereign’s Gate.
They are currently owned and managed by English Heritage. Each of the cottages have a private garden, two bedrooms and access to the beach when the main house is closed.
Prices start from £495 per night for both of the rentals.
Also on offer for groups is Pavilion Cottage, another two-bed rental which can accommodate up to four people.
Unlike the other two properties, it is situated just off the Osborne estate.
Prices for Pavilion Cottage start at £555 per night.