ROOM FOR TWO MORE? EUGENIE AND FIANCE SQUEEZE INTO PALACE
PRINCESS Eugenie and her fiance have moved into a Kensington Palace cottage next to Prince Harry and Meghan Markle.
Their arrival means they are the sixth royal couple to take up residence in the increasingly crowded historic grounds in West London.
Eugenie, who has a full-time job as an associate director at contemporary art gallery Hauser & Wirth, and her future husband, wine merchant Jack Brooksbank, are privately renting three-bed Ivy Cottage.
A comparable three-bedroom mews house within walking distance of Hyde Park would cost £3,500 a week – or £182,000 a year. Officials would not confirm how much the couple have been asked to pay.
Eugenie, 28, had previously been living in a taxpayer-funded four-bedroom apartment in St James’s Palace with her sister Princess Beatrice, 29.
She will marry Mr Brooksbank, 31, at Windsor Castle in October. The couple have been together for eight years after being introduced by friends in the Swiss ski resort of Verbier, where her parents have a £13million property.
Ivy Cottage was formerly the family home of the deputy head of the palace’s property section, who retired more than two years ago. Since then, the property has been earmarked for Eugenie – although her plans to move in were marred by an alleged row over who should pay the thousands of pounds needed to repair a damp problem. It remains unknown whether public money was spent refurbishing the cottage.
A source close to Eugenie said she was thrilled to be living next door to Harry and Meghan. ‘ Harry and Eugenie are great mates. She was one of the first people who met Meghan,’ the source said. ‘Eugenie is so pleased. It’s the first time she and Jack have lived together. They wanted to move in earlier but there were arguments over who paid for renovations.’
It was ten years ago that her older sister Beatrice moved into the St James’s Palace apartment, when she was a student at Goldsmiths College.
Palace aides spent more than £250,000 of taxpayers’ money bringing it up to scratch for her, claiming it was more cost effective given the increased cost of security that living in student digs would entail.
Refurbishment included a new fitted kitchen and bathroom, and timber flooring in the two main reception rooms. The apartment was also redecorated.
Much of Kensington Palace was turned into offices following the death of its most famous resident, Princess Diana, in 1997.
The arrival of Eugenie and her fiance continues the resurgence of younger royals in the palace, started by the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, who moved into quaint Nottingham Cottage following their wedding in 2011.
They have since moved into a lavish suite, once used by Princess Margaret, which has been extensively redecorated and had two kitchens installed, helped by £4.5million of public money.
Prince and Princess Michael of Kent used to live in a grace-andfavour home given to them by the Queen following their marriage, which cost them just £69 a week. Following a public outcry and calls by MPs, they now pay what has been described as ‘full market rent’, rumoured to be £120,000 a year.
The 50-plus residents at Kensington Palace include senior courtiers, military figures, domestic staff and even a few members of the public, who pay the market rent.
‘Thrilled to be next door to Harry and Meghan’