How Much It Would Cost to Rent Buckingham Palace (and More Royal Estates) Per Month

With the popularity of Netflix’s historical drama “The Crown,” Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s royal tell-all with Oprah Winfrey, and Prince William and Kate Middleton’s turn as vloggers, the British royal family remains a prominent source of interest. “The Crown,” specifically, gives viewers an intimate glimpse into a historically private family, offering dramatizations of Queen Elizabeth II and co.’s lives — and most importantly, their grandiose estates. UNCLE, a UK-based rental company, recently released a study that answers a question we’ve all wondered: how much would it cost to live in these royal homes? 

Spoiler: a lot. Using floor plans of properties in close proximity to the royal residences to estimate an average rental cost per square meter, UNCLE calculated monthly rental costs. No surprise here, but Buckingham Palace would be the most expensive property to rent. With a whopping 775 rooms, prime London location, and estimated 77,000 square meters, the Queen’s main residence (and administrative offices) would cost over £2.5 million (about $3.5+ million USD) per month.

The second most expensive property would be St. James’s Palace, also in London, residence of Anne, Princess Royal. While the number of rooms is unknown, monthly rent is estimated at over £1.7 million (about $2.3+ million), based on its approx. 16,482 square meters. The third most expensive property would be Windsor Castle, the Queen’s weekend home in Windsor. While there are over one thousand (yes, one thousand) rooms and an estimated 53,00 square meters, it’s priced less than Buckingham Palace at an estimated £1.3+ million a month (about $1.8+ million) due to its location away from the city.

For estimates on more popular royal estates, read on below. 

Location: Kensington, London

Royal residents: Prince William, Duke of Cambridge and Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge

Estimated property area: 2,785 square meters 

No. of rooms: 20

Estimated rental per month: £175,697 (~$245,527) 

Location: St. James’s, London

Royal residents: Charles, Prince of Wales and Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall

Estimated property area: 1,552 square meters 

No. of rooms: 15

Estimated rental per month: £87,799 (~$122,694)

Location: Aberdeenshire, Scotland

Royal residents: Queen Elizabeth II 

Estimated property area: 7,242 square meters 

No. of rooms: 52

Estimated rental per month: £82,200 (~$114,870)

Location: Windsor, England 

Former royal residents: Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex and Meghan, Duchess of Sussex

Estimated property area: 706 square meters

No. of rooms: 9

Estimated rental per month: £17,650 (~$24,664)