Princess Eugenie, 36, and her husband Jack Brooksbank, 39, split their time between their Portugal home and their London base, with their two young sons, August and Ernest. The couple have used the three-bedroom home since 2018, but here's why they won't have to fork out for any upkeep or surrounding security…
The property still belongs to the Crown Estate and sits within Kensington Palace walls, so all of the management, including repairs and adequate security, lies with the Crown Estate itself.
Since Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor's downfall and his relinquishing of Royal Lodge in Windsor, attention has turned to his daughters, Beatrice and Eugenie, and questions have been raised over them having grace-and-favour homes as non-working royals.
© InstagramThe exterior of the property is like something from a storybook, and on one Valentine's Day, Eugenie shared a look at her charming porch. Her chocolate-box cottage is the epitome of charming, with a white picket fence, climbing roses and twee Georgian windows.
© Instagram
© Photo: InstagramThe History of Ivy Cottage
While it may be used as a royal home today, it wasn't the building's intended use. It was built in the 19th century as a modest lodging for palace staff. The cottage neighbours Wren House, and is very close to Nottingham Cottage, where both Prince William and Princess Kate and Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have once called home.
Ivy Cottage underwent renovations from 2016 to 2018 ahead of Eugenie and her husband moving in. At the time, extensive damp was uncovered in the basement, which required urgent attention.
Eugenie's home in Portugal
© InstagramThe family relocated to Portugal for Jack's work with property tycoon Mike Meldman. Jack is a marketing executive working for Discovery Land Company in Portugal, who run a 300-home development at CostaTerra Golf and Ocean Club. The family are said to live on site and the surroundings are pretty idyllic with the ocean steps away.
The website describes the location as "a dramatic and mind-blowing landscape of towering cliffs, secret coves, and impossibly clear water". Plus, activities like horse riding, surfing and hiking ore readily on offer, ideal for the children. We've seen glimpses of Eugenie's sun-soaked life in Europe via Instagram images, but they prefer to keep their exact property under wraps.
Eugenie has said Portugal is a "dream" for her, while speaking on the Table Manners podcast, hosted by Jessie and Lennie Ware. "This is why Portugal is the dream because I can go to the supermarket in my exercise gear and my hair piled on my head and not mind. Not care. No one cares."
