The Queen gifted Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie a £1.5m seven-bed mansion with a heated pool – but they turned it down
MANY people may dream of owning a mansion - but Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie were given one when they were just children.
The Queen gifted the girls, who were nine and seven respectively at the time, the Grade II-listed Birch Hall in 1997.
The Surrey-based, seven-bedroom house came with five acres of land, a tennis court and its very own outdoor heated swimming pool.
Inside, the lavish family home boasted four bathrooms and five living rooms.
Meanwhile, there was even a separate two-bedroom cottage for staff in the grounds.
While the home certainly looked impressive, Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie never got to live there.
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The home was initially purchased by trustees acting on behalf of the Queen, but the girls’ mother Sarah Ferguson turned down the offer.
Her divorce with Prince Andrew had been finalised the year before in 1996, and she reportedly had fears that she would not be able to afford the running costs and upkeep of Birch Hall.
The family-of-four continued to live together at Sunninghill Park and later Royal Lodge, despite the Duke and Duchess of York no longer being married.
Birch Hall was sold in 1999 and estate agents at the time said it was being sold “due to a change of circumstance”, and it was thought the money from the sale would be placed in trust for Eugenie and Beatrice.
It was later put on the market again in 2016 for a whopping £4.2million and had a number of swanky additions.
The latest owners had added a home gym, games room and orangery.
Andrew Russell from estate agency Strutt and Parker told the Daily Mail: "It's probably one of the very best of north Surrey's village houses, there's not that many that come on the market.
“It's a proper country house with five acres of grounds. The house itself is a very attractive and imposing-looking property.
“Some of the rooms are really quite dramatic, with high ceilings and full floor to ceiling sash windows. It's got a swimming pool, tennis court and beautiful specimen trees dating from Victorian times in the garden."
Princess Eugenie and Princess Beatrice's close bond
Over the years, the Queen's granddaughters have often spoken about their incredible bond and have previously described themselves as "each other's rocks."
Princess Beatrice was the first child born to the Duke and Duchess of York - Prince Andrew and Sarah Ferguson - back on August 8, 1988.
The Duchess gave birth at London's Portland Hospital for Women and Children, and Beatrice's full name was announced as Beatrice Elizabeth Mary almost two weeks later.
The couple - who divorced in 1996 - then welcomed Princess Eugenie, whose full name is Eugenie Victoria Helena, on March 23, 1990.
As a result of their close bond, it’s no surprise that back in 2018, as Eugenie made her way down to Windsor Castle for her royal nuptials, her maid of honour Beatrice was firmly by her side.
When asked about her maid of honour by TLC, Princess Eugenie said, “I can’t think of anyone I’d want by my side other than her.”
Princess Eugenie is now 33 and currently has a jaw-dropping home - and it’s not in the UK.
The King’s niece - along with husband Jack Brooksbank and their kids - is now living in a luxury golf and ocean club in Portugal.
Meanwhile, since their marriage in 2020, Princess Beatrice, 35, and Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi, 40, have lived in a four-bed apartment in St James's Palace, with two-year-old daughter Sienna and Edoardo's older child, Wolfie.
The royal couple purchased a sprawling farmhouse in the Cotswolds for £3.5million two years ago, which they have been renovating since.
Princess Eugenie, Jack, August, two, and baby Ernest are said to be splitting their time between living at the CostaTerra Golf and Ocean Club and their life back in the UK.
The reason for the move is Jack’s job, as he is doing marketing, sales and promotion for property entrepreneur Mike Meldman, who is managing the 300-home development there.
According to its website, CostaTerra “offers a wide range of real estate options, from large estate homesites to contemporary coastal villas, turnkey club residences and custom luxury homes”.
And the club - dubbed the "Hamptons of Western Europe" - is certainly fit for royalty, boasting luxury amenities such as an 18-hole golf course, spa and equestrian centre.
If that wasn’t enough, there is also private surf lessons, paddleboarding and catamaran trips where you go dolphin-watching.
Meghan Markle and Prince Harry are said to have stayed at the resort and visited Eugenie after the Invictus Games.
The Princess struck up a friendship with Meghan before the Sussexes began dating and the trio are believed to keep in regular contact.
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Eugenie, who is the daughter of Prince Andrew and Sarah Ferguson, is said to be continuing her work for London art gallery Hauser & Wirth on a hybrid basis.
When they are in the UK they will be staying at Kensington Palace, with the royal recently revealing on the Table Manners podcast the process of getting a Deliveroo takeaway inside.
