Why Princess Anne moved out of luxury London flat after just a few months

Princess Anne once lived in a luxurious London apartment that the royal absolutely hated and could only stand for a few months

Princess Anne's London flat
(Image credit: Finnbarr Webster / Contributor / Getty Images)

Princess Anne once lived in a luxurious two-bed flat in London and despite the £1.3k a month price tag, the Princess hated living there.


Princess Anne is one of the Queen's four children, so she has been surrounded by luxury and palaces since she was a small child. 

It's easy to imagine that the Princess was used to a certain level of splendor, so moving into a busy two-bed London flat with her husband, came as a bit of a shock for the pampered royal.

The Princess rented a flat in Dolphin Square in Pimlico in 1992, which is just a stone's throw from Buckingham Palace and Clarence House. The square is a well-known block of flats that used to be popular with MP's due to its close proximity to the House of Commons. William Hague and former Prime Minister Harold Wilson are just two of the many wealthy former occupants of this sought-after building.

Princess Anne

(Image credit: Carl Court / Staff / Getty Images)

The royal couple paid a whopping £1,300 per month in rent to stay at this property which is an eye-watering sum considering this was the price in the 1990s.

Although it had a luxury price tag and enviable location, when discussing her time in this flat, Anne said she was surrounded by, "nosy neighbors and noisy traffic."

For this reason, the Princess could only manage to stay at this property for just a few months before she and Sir Timothy Laurence moved to Gatcombe Park.

Princess Anne's london flat

(Image credit: Peter King / Stringer / Getty Images)

Princess Anne and her husband Sir Timothy appreciate their privacy and enjoy living in Gloucestershire in the large estate their share with Zara and Mike Tindall.

The Princess hasn't revealed too much about her house but fans have previously told Princess Anne to ‘de-clutter’ after she shared a glimpse inside her home.

Gatcombe has been the home of the Princess Royal since 1976, when the Queen privately purchased the property for Princess Anne and her ex-husband Captain Mark Phillips.

When the Princess does want to spend time in London, she also has a residence at St James' Palace.

Laura Harman

Laura is the Entertainment Editor for woman&home who primarily covers television, film, and celebrity news. Laura loves drinking and eating and can often be found trying to get reservations at London's trendiest restaurants. When she's not wining and dining, Laura can also be found travelling, baking, and hiking with her dog.