Being a royal obviously has many perks, including fabulous clothes, fancy trips, and the privilege of living in literal palaces. But palace life isn't always what you think it to be. Sure, there are tons of rooms to explore and lavish parties and beautiful gardens, but in many ways, palace living is stiff and formal.
Technically, residences like Buckingham Palace and Kensington Palace aren't even owned by the royals. They're part of the Crown Estate, which is controlled by whoever the reigning monarch is at the time. That, and the fact that the palaces are decorated with borrowed art and antique furniture, makes it difficult for royals to truly make their homes their own. No wonder Kate Middleton and Prince William love spending so much time at their country house.
It's not all bad news, though. There are still a lot of upsides to palace life. Here's what you need to know about what castle living is really like for these royals.
It's Basically Like Living in a Museum
The Buckingham Palace we know today was built in the 1800s, and it's a historical landmark. As such, sometimes it needs gentle restoration of things like 19th century wallpaper. So residing there is kind of like living in a museum, where you can't really touch everything and you have to be careful of antique furniture, carpets, and floors.
Complete With an Art Gallery
Giving the palace even more of a museum quality is the art. Both Buckingham Palace and Kensington Palace are decorated with paintings that have been loaned from the impressive royal art collection — another thing the royals have to be careful not to touch. No drawing on the walls or running in the halls for the royal children.
Some Things Are Kinda Outdated
We're not even talking about the wallpaper or the furniture. In all aspects of their lives, the royals seem resistant to too much modernity. For instance, they all still use corded telephones to conduct their business. "The Queen doesn't believe in change for change's sake and if she is comfortable with something she keeps using it for years," royal expert Phil Dampier told the Daily Mail about the vintage phones.
Keep the Lights Off
In addition to being resistant to modernizing, Queen Elizabeth also doesn't like spending money unnecessarily. She does her best to keep the Buckingham Palace energy bill down by insisting that the lights stay off in any room that's not being used. Walking through the palace at night must be kind of spooky without many lights on.
Not All the Furniture Is Antique
Although the royal residences are furnished with a lot of old-fashioned couches and tables from decades prior, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge decided that wasn't going to work for their kids' rooms. So they went the Ikea route, reportedly snagging some of the inexpensive furniture for Prince George and Princess Charlotte. We'd love to see William trying to put all the pieces together.
Personal Photos & Items Are Allowed
Although many items in the palaces are borrowed (like the art) or handed down (like the furniture), the royals are allowed to decorate a little bit in their own personal style. This mostly ends up meaning they can put personal photographs on display. The palace is filled with these sweet mementos.
Multiple Royals Live at Kensington Palace
Kensington Palace is made up of multiple "apartments" — massive wings with tons of rooms. Aside from William and Kate and their family, several other royals also reside there. The palace is home to Princess Eugenie and Jack Brooksbank, as well as Prince and Princess Michael of Kent.
And Staff Live With Them
There are enough rooms in these palaces for staff to live right alongside the royals. It must make commuting to your job easy when you wake up in the office! Buckingham Palace alone has 188 staff bedrooms. That sounds like a lot, but it's only a fraction of the palace's 775 total rooms. Among the others are 52 royal and guest bedrooms, 19 state rooms, 92 offices, and 78 bathrooms. (Now we can see why those electric bills can climb so high!)
There Are Rooms for Very Specific Uses
When you have that many rooms, you can dedicate a few to more trivial things. For instance, the Cambridges' Kensington Palace home reportedly has one room just for their luggage. They also have a day nursery for the kids that's different from the night nursery. They even have a press room where things like media statements can be sent from.
The Yard Is Massive
If you thought the palace interiors were big, just wait until you hear about the outsides. Buckingham Palace, Kensington Palace, and St. James' Palace all have massive yards (which are called grounds, because they're so big). The Buckingham Palace garden is 39 acres and is home to all kinds of flowers, a lake, and even several beehives.
The Dogs Get Treated Like Royalty, Too
The perks of royal life don't just go to the humans. The dogs who live with the Queen get similar A-plus treatment. The monarch's pets are served gourmet meals with fresh-caught meat, and they also have their own butlers to attend to all their needs, like feedings and walks. It's a good life, the life of a palace pup.
They Eat Everyday Meals on Fancy Dishes
The royals don't always eat dinner in a massive banquet hall. Kate's family often cooks for themselves when they're not at royal functions. But once a royal always a royal, as evidenced by Meghan Markle's avocado toast served on silver plates when her friend visited Kensington Palace. It's such a casual meal to be eaten off such fine dinnerware.
Mealtime Has Strict Rules
When the royals are having a formal dinner, the etiquette is very strict. The royal chef can't make anything with garlic, and the Queen has also forbidden shellfish in case it makes anyone sick with food poisoning. And when dinner is over, the leftovers are wrapped up, because Prince Charles reportedly hates wasting food.
They Go All Out for Christmas
Christmas must be the royals' favorite holiday because they decorate almost every nook and cranny of the massive palaces. Not only do they bring in lights and multiple Christmas trees, they also have the trees decorated with royal-themed ornaments, like little crowns. What a cheerful place to be for the holiday.
Strangers Can Visit All the Time
The weirdest part of living in one of these palaces is that they're open to the public for tours. True, strangers can't peek into the private rooms, but they can visit the grounds, see inside the state rooms, and even browse gift shops on-site. It would be pretty weird to know that your home was a major tourist attraction.
