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.
10 The late Queen gifted Princess Beatrice a mansion when she was nine Credit: Getty 10 Birch Hall in Surrey has seven bedrooms, tennis courts and a pool Credit: BNPS 10 The Georgian country mansion was listed for £4.25million in 2016 Credit: BNPS 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 Sar.