Earlier this week, it was revealed that Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie have never paid a penny in rent, despite living in exclusive palace properties for almost two decades – but what exactly do the interiors of their residences look like?
While one might expect opulent and extravagant furnishings, the Princesses’ tastes are surprisingly low-key, with both opting for light, breezy painted walls while spotlighting framed family photographs and books.
A report by the National Audit Office laid bare some of the cosy deals that working – and non-working – royals have benefited from when it comes to residences.
The findings included Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor’s daughters, who perform no royal duties but have been secretly subsidised for years by their grandmother, Queen Elizabeth, and now by their uncle, King Charles.
Both Beatrice, 37, and Eugenie, 36, have their own careers, high-flying husbands and multi-million-pound homes elsewhere and are sure to face questions about why they could not pay their own way.
Andrew and Sarah Ferguson‘s eldest, Beatrice, splits her time between her Cotswolds home and the funded St James’s Palace apartment with her property developer husband, Edo Mapelli Mozzi.
Her younger sister, Eugenie, similarly divides her time between Ivy Cottage in the grounds of Kensington Palace and a £3.6 million Portuguese home where her neighbours include F1 racing drivers and fashion designer Christian Louboutin.
Both London rents, the report reveals, are paid to the Royal Household entirely by Charles out of the Privy Purse, made up of his Duchy of Lancaster income and other private funds. No taxpayer money was involved.
Read on to discover the interiors of Beatrice and Eugenie’s London homes, as it’s revealed they live rent-free.
They’ve lived rent free at Palaces for years, but what do Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie’s homes look like on the inside?
The former Prince Andrew and Sarah Ferguson’s eldest daughter has opted for light interiors in what appears to be her St James’s Palace apartment
Back in 2021, Beatrice revealed a glimpse into her St James’s Palace home, complete with sweet family photos, modern décor and chic artwork.
The royal showed off her central London home in an interview with parenting blogger Giovanna Fletcher, in which she discussed the ‘gift’ of dyslexia and her relationship with her husband’s son, Wolfie, 10, whom she described as a ‘bonus child’.
Clearly keeping family close to her heart, the royal’s living room is filled with photos of herself and Edo, as well as snaps from her travels across the world.
Images on the wall appear to show her with her parents, Andrew and Sarah Ferguson, as well as her sister, Eugenie.
In addition to the photos, the white walls are adorned with black-and-white pencil art.
At the time, interior design expert Benji Lewis suggested that the glimpse into Beatrice’s home was attempting to show her ‘accessibility’ as it ‘didn’t appear like a former royal residence’.
Speaking to the Daily Mail, he explained: ‘The backdrop suggests someone with an interest in creating a homely, welcoming interior, who enjoys structure and a sense of calm and who’s unbothered by blending contemporary elements with more traditional ones.
‘The quatrefoil mirror is a great shape – notably in its chunky modern frame – yet the prints on the left in their simple giltwood frames are more traditional, one in particular being finished with what looks like a detailed mount.
Beatrice’s apartment is located in St James’s Palace (pictured), a historic royal palace and London landmark
‘There’s also an accessibility to things, the backdrop doesn’t say ‘formal Royal residence” – on the contrary, the room has a gentle, friendly calm feel to it, notably with the inclusion of a multitude of framed photos, likely of friends and family.
‘Lighting-wise, there’s seemingly been thought to the positioning of the overhead spots, to highlight the mirror and the two prints, so we can assume that when the overhead lighting is (likely) dimmed, it’s a soft effect that’s achieved.
‘The soft grey walls are gentle and unshowy, an uncomplicated easy canvas for showcasing possessions and unthreatening as a backdrop for virtual appointments’.
Beatrice, a lover of the arts, has attended many events at the National Portrait Gallery, among others, while her sister Eugenie has worked with London gallery Hauser & Wirth.
Showing she’s up to date with interior design trends, Beatrice also opted for a neutral off-white wall, which highlighted her photos, which were framed in black wood.
She’s also added a statement mirror to the room, as well as a dresser which houses more trinkets and framed photos.
Reflected in the mirror are long white curtains covered in a red and blue tree print.
The royal has previously shown another room in the house, which is decorated with deep orange walls and features a fireplace with a picture from Edo and Beatrice’s wedding day on top.
Despite the palace being nearly 500 years old, Edo has previously revealed it has modern touches, telling the Financial Times he has a Peloton bike.
‘I go for a run in the park, I get on my Peloton bike or play squash. It’s not a ritual but something I do when I have the time. There’s always the feeling that you don’t want to do it before you start, but once it’s over you feel so much better,’ he said.
PRINCESS EUGENIE’S IVY COTTAGE
Princess Eugenie shared a glimpse into her Ivy Cottage during an interview for Scoliosis Awareness Month in 2025
Ivy Cottage (pictured) is located in the grounds of Kensington Palace, across a small courtyard from Nottingham Cottage, the home where Harry lived with Meghan until April 2019
Princess Eugenie’s Ivy Cottage is located across a small courtyard from Nottingham Cottage, the home where Harry lived with Meghan until April 2019.
The exterior of Eugenie’s Ivy Cottage, which she has lived in since 2017, features a charming white picket fence and flowers wrapping around the front door.
Last year, Eugenie revealed a glimpse inside her three-bedroom London home when recording an interview in light of Scoliosis Awareness Month 2025.
The Princess sat against a backdrop of shelving, filled with books, including A World History of Art, the subject she studied at Newcastle University, and family photographs.
One image showed a family shot, seemingly on holiday, and included Eugenie’s mother, Sarah Ferguson.
The Princess also had a candle and a selection of silverware on display on her shelves.
In what appears to be the Ivy Cottage garden, Eugenie and her husband Jack, have added a mini wooden bench for her children, Ernest and August.
In one picture shared on Instagram, Eugenie sat on the bench as her children ate their dinner from plastic blue plates.
Prince Harry and Ed Sheeran revealed a sneak peek inside Princess Eugenie’s home with husband Jack Brooksbank on Instagram
A huge black and white portrait of Princess Eugenie on her wedding day can be seen in the background of a video shared by Prince Harry
The garden also appeared to feature a sand kitchen, with a green watering can and yellow lorries for the children.
Back in 2019, Prince Harry and Ed Sheeran seemingly gave another glimpse into Eugenie’s cottage.
In October of that year, Harry and Ed teamed up to show their support for World Mental Health Day by sharing a video on Instagram – filmed in an unnamed London location. But major clues indicate the clip was made at Ivy Cottage.
In one of the clips, Harry can be seen opening a white-panelled door, identical to one in images of Ivy Cottage, before inviting Ed into a hallway where a huge portrait of Princess Eugenie kissing Jack on their wedding day hangs.
The video also revealed the property’s trendy, yet understated, decor.
Along with the small fireplace, the hallway contains a small wooden writing desk, while a glass light shade hangs from the ceiling.
In the background of Harry’s video, a doorway can be seen leading into the lounge, which is painted light grey.
A sofa lined with orange cushions was also seen, and candles sat on display on a geometric black shelf, hanging from the kitchen ceiling.
