Even if there is a ruler’s residence, this is still and remains a residential house. The place where the monarch sleeps, eats, watches TV, receives guests, changes clothes and, sorry, goes to the toilet. As in any home. This is also one of the most famous buildings in London – Buckingham Palace.
Buckingham Palace is estimated to be worth just under five billion dollars today, which makes it quite logically the most expensive residential building in the world. True, even more expensive are Versailles and Luvra In France, as well as the residence of the Russian tsars, the Winter Palace in Petersburg, but only history and art live there, not living people.
The world’s most expensive inhabited monarch’s residence is Tokyo Castle, home to the Emperor of Japan. Built on the site of the ancient Edo Castle, this residence occupies an area of almost two square kilometers and is worth more than 12 billion dollars (or 33 thousand dollars per square meter). But in terms of fame and popularity, it has no chance to compete with England the abode of kings, also thanks to its cult status in cinema. To be fair, no super popular “Netflix” scene in “The Crown” was not filmed in the actual Buckingham Palace.
All under one roof
Today, working from home without going out at all is not unusual. Remote work, courier deliveries, everything on site, everything at hand. If not for visits, hunting, vacations and work duties, even the monarchs of England (and the staff) could live in Buckingham Palace without leaving the walls of the property.
It has its own post office, a large park, a cinema, a swimming pool and even an ATM (I wonder where the royal family spends their money?). The palace has a prayer chapel and a doctor’s office. And yet Buckingham Palace, at least for the current royal family, is not the first choice of home.
