Living like a Royal needn’t cost the earth. In fact, her majesty The Queen and the Royal family have some surprisingly frugal habits. Here’s how to live the royal lifestyle for less:
Take Public Transport
The Queen is notoriously frugal when it comes to getting from A to B, preferring to travel by commuter train rather than chauffeur driven limo or private jet. In February 2016 The Telegraph reported commuters were stunned to witness her majesty boarding a Great Northern Thameslink train bound for Kings Cross following an extended Christmas break at Sandringham. She passed the time of the 90-minute journey in the first class carriage reading letters and the daily newspapers.
The Queen isn’t the only royal keeping a close eye on the travel budget. Young royals Prince Harry, Prince William and The Duchess of Cambridge have been spotted flying on public airlines including budget airline Easyjet, often choosing to sit in economy class.
Shop Savvy
There is no greater stamp of regal approval than a Royal Warrant. From Marmite to Bacardi Martinis, the royals give their seal of approval to a whole host of suppliers delivering the crème de la crème.
Buying into the royal’s favourite brands needn’t require a budget worthy of the crown jewels, however. Savvy shoppers know to head on over to us because included in our little black book of brands are Royal Warrant holders Musto, Hunter, Sleepeezee and Halcyon Days, to name a few.
Staycation
Without fail, the Queen holidays at the same destination year upon year, and it’s closer to home than you may expect. Her majesty eschews exotic destinations for the Balmoral estate in Aberdeenshire, Scotland, where she spends the August and September months.
Acquired by Prince Albert in 1852 for £32,000, Balmoral is said to be the queen’s favourite home. Whilst holidaying at Balmoral the queen is known to enjoy the simple pleasures in life including long walks, picnics and barbeques.
Rewear Your Clothes
The Duchess of Cambridge, Princess Anne and The Queen famously make sartorial savings by re-wearing their favourite outfits. Princess Anne knows a thing or two about cost-per-wear, attending this year’s Commonwealth Service at Westminster Abbey in a sharply tailored cream and navy jacket that she first wore to Royal Ascot in 1980. The jacket has made nine public outings in total and is now considered a vintage piece.
The Duchess of Cambridge makes her wardrobe work equally as hard, wearing style staples such as her L.K. Bennett Sledge high heel pumps and J Brand skinnies on repeat.
Bills, Bills, Bills
With an estimated 40,000 lights, we can only imagine Buckingham Palace’s eye watering annual electricity bill. It comes as no surprise then that her majesty keeps a close eye on the Palace’s illuminations, reportedly posting signs around the building in 2011 asking staff to turn lights off when they are not in use. Reader’s Digest reported that, according to a palace employee, the queen was so serious about the initiative that she would walk the halls switching off lights!
