Princess Beatrice and her grandmother Queen Elizabeth II always had a special relationship. Case in point: the princess wore the queen's actual wedding tiara at her own nuptials. The queen even reportedly had a hand in helping name Beatrice, with Elizabeth vetoing the original choice, Princess Annabel. As a result, it's perhaps unsurprising that the queen totally spoiled Beatrice by gifting her a mansion when she turned 9 in 1997.
According to The Sun, Queen Elizabeth decided to gift Birch Hall, a Grade II-listed mansion in the village of Windlesham in Surrey, to Beatrice and her sister Princess Eugenie. At the time, the property was reportedly worth £1.5 million (approximately $1.9 million), but the valuation has since ballooned. When the house was sold in 2016, it traded hands for $6.1 million, according to AOL. The incredible property features seven bedrooms, four bathrooms, a heated pool, and a tennis court, as well as a small cottage for staff to reside on the grounds.
Frankly, Birch Hall sounds like an absolutely perfect gift for a 9-year-old and her sister. Sadly, Eugenie and Beatrice's mother, Sarah Ferguson, apparently didn't agree, and made her daughters return the queen's extremely kind present.
Sarah, Duchess of York, reportedly decided the bills on the mansion would be too expensive. Instead, the queen apparently sold the property privately, and used the proceeds to open a trust for Eugenie and Beatrice.
Discussing just how wonderful the property is, real estate agent Andrew Russell told the Daily Mail (via The Sun), "It's a proper country house with five acres of grounds. The house itself is a very attractive and imposing-looking property." He continued, "Some of the rooms are really quite dramatic, with high ceilings and full floor-to-ceiling sash windows."
Earlier this year, reports surfaced regarding Princess Beatrice's status as a member of the royal family. However, it's apparently extremely unlikely Beatrice will become a working royal, especially now that King Charles III has slimmed down the monarchy.
Writing in the Daily Mail, royal expert Rebecca English explained, "The unfortunate truth, however, is that none of them will be asked to support the working royals on a more permanent basis, however badly they are needed." English continued, "It is full time or nothing. The occasional garden party aside, more substantial roles for William’s cousins are out of the question—for now, at least."
