Princess Beatrice's Student Housing Costs Taxpayers Almost $500K

Britain's Princess Beatrice's student housing cost taxpayers Ł300,000 [$497,000]. The 20-year-old royal - who is fifth in line to the throne - lived in an apartment in St James' Palace for her first year of student life at London's Goldsmiths College, where she is studying for a BA in History and History of Ideas.

View Photos [18]
View Profile
View All News

It is thought she didn't want to take up a place in the college's halls of residence or rent her own flat because of how much security would cost.

However, the major renovations she ordered in Apartment No 2 - which was previously occupied by a senior royal official - ended up being even more expensive.

Before Beatrice - the eldest daughter of Prince Andrew and Sarah Ferguson - moved in, the whole flat was redecorated, complete with a new kitchen and bathroom and timber flooring in the two main reception rooms.

Justifying the cost of renovating the apartment, a senior official told Britain's Daily Mail newspaper: "It was very unimpressive and last decorated a long, long time ago.'"

"We had been hoping to do the work for some time but had to wait until the existing tenant moved out."

"People have this image of what a palace apartment looks like but the reality is very different. It is a small set of attic rooms reached only by a spiral staircase of 60 steps."

"We used money from the government to undertake a basic program of refurbishment and any extra requirements that were more personal to Princess Beatrice herself were paid by the Duke of York or the queen."