Beatrice rejected Queen's very expensive gesture because of mum Sarah Ferguson

16 January 2024 , 16:34

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This expensive gesture was refused because of Sarah Ferguson (Image: Getty Images)

The late Queen Elizabeth was known for her generosity when it came to her grandchildren, and Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie - the daughters of Prince Andrew and Sarah Ferguson - were no exception.

Prince William was given Anmer Hall, his Norfolk residence, by his grandmother when he got married. She also made a similar gesture for Harry and Meghan, giving them Frogmore Cottage in Windsor to live in when they became a family.

Reportedly, all the way back in 1997, the late Queen bought a manor house in Surrey for Beatrice and Eugenie, but the generous offering was refused because of their mother, Sarah Ferguson.

The Daily Mail reports that Birch Hall - a Grade II listed property that features tennis courts and a swimming pool - was bought by the late Queen through a trust for her two granddaughters, but the expensive gift was refused, and the property sat empty instead, with the two York sisters never moving in.

Birch Hall was reportedly offered to the York sisters by the Queen (Strutt&Parker/BNPS)

The reason the property was refused, according to the publication, is that there was no way that Sarah Ferguson would be able to afford the actual costs of living in such an extravagant property.

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"She could not afford the upkeep and running costs of the centuries-old property near Windlesham in Surrey," a source claims, which meant that the girls and their mother stayed put in their home of Sunninghill Park.

When it was sold for £1.5m a couple of years later "it was believed that money from the sale would be held in a trust for Eugenie and Beatrice, who were aged just 10 and nine at the time."

The impressive property features seven bedrooms, and these days features a home gym, tennis courts, a heated swimming pool, a games room, an orangery, and an extra two-bedroom house for staff accommodation.

The five-acre property features a swimming pool and tennis courts (Strutt&Parker/BNPS)

The five-acre property includes 8000 sq ft of living space, is located nearby to Ascot Park and the Guards Polo Club, and is conveniently located for the horse races at Ascot, a pastime the Royal Family are all understood to enjoy.

Sarah Ferguson currently lives at Royal Lodge, alongside her ex-husband Prince Andrew, and she has previously described them as being "the happiest divorced couple in the world".

It has been widely reported that King Charles intends to evict Andrew from his 30-room home, where he has lived since 2003, in favour of Frogmore Cottage - Meghan and Harry's former UK home.

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Emma Mackenzie