Creepy ghost stories might be enough to make you consider relocating, but it wasn't the eerie past that made the Queen's cousin Prince Michael of Kent give up his massive country mansion, Nether Lypiatt Manor.
READ: Who is Prince Michael of Kent? Everything you need to know
Michael and his wife Princess Michael of Kent were forced to give up their gorgeous family home for purely financial reasons. The non-working royals used to pay reduced rent at the royal residence of Kensington Palace, but once the subsidised rates were exposed the couple were forced to make a huge financial decision.
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After becoming unable to justify the cost of their mansion and the rent payments, they sold the property and relocated to Kensington Palace full-time.
© Photo: Getty ImagesThe huge manor house sold for over £5million
It was put up for sale in 2005, and they hoped to receive at least £6million for the house, but it sold for £5.75million in 2006.
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The couple have been married since 1978
The neo-classical property, where the couple raised their children Lady Gabriella and Lord Frederick Windsor, has been plagued by ghostly tales as it was built in 1698 by Judge Cox, who legend says was a hanging judge at the time. It is believed even his own son hanged himself in one of the rooms.
© Photo: Getty ImagesThe royal couple raised their children at the manor
Speaking to The Sunday Times Magazine, Princess Michael of Kent explained their tricky situation. She said: "Of course I miss the big gardens we had at our country house, but it became very expensive to run... we couldn’t afford it.
"For the first time that terrible word came into my life when our private secretary said, 'Ma’am, you have to downsize' - and it was the worst word I’d heard in ages."
© Photo: Getty ImagesPrince and Princess Michael of Kent now reside at Kensington Palace
The other royals which reside within the walls of Kensington Palace are the Duke and Duchess of Gloucester, the Duke and Duchess of Kent and the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge.
Royal fans have been lucky enough to see inside Prince William and Kate Middleton's private residence when they have been making official engagements virtually from their homes during the coronavirus pandemic.
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