Residential property owned by a monarch and leased to a subject
This article is about the monarchal grant. For the British sitcom television series, see
Grace & Favour.
A grace-and-favour home is a
residential property owned by a
monarch by virtue of his or her position as
head of state and leased, often rent-free, to persons as part of an employment package or in gratitude for past services rendered.
In the
United Kingdom, these homes are owned by
the Crown or a charity and, in modern times, are often within the gift of the
prime minister. Most of these properties are taxed as a "benefit in kind", although this status does not apply to
10 Downing Street or any home granted for security purposes, such as the residence of the
Secretary of State for Northern Ireland.
[1] They are at times granted to senior politicians.
[2]
It is possible that the term crept into English through the writings of
Niccolò Machiavelli, who wrote of advisers who are ministers per grazia e concessione, which has been translated as "through grace and favour".
[3]
England
In 1986, there were 120 apartments total, the most splendid being at
Kensington Palace where the
Prince of Wales,
Duke and Duchess of Gloucester, and
Prince and Princess Michael of Kent lived. There are also some at
Windsor Castle, and
Buckingham Palace.
St James's Palace had 20 apartments.
Lord Kitchener once lived there, as did the
Duke of Windsor. Most apartments are modest, some two rooms, inhabited mostly by retired members of the household staff.
Hampton Court apartments were generally occupied by retired soldiers and diplomats or (more usually) by their widows. Grace and favour apartments have been discontinued at Hampton Court following a major fire there. There were once 69. In 1986, this had dwindled to 15.
[4]
In the latter part of
Queen Victoria's reign,
Frogmore Cottage in the
Home Park, Windsor, was the grace and favour residence of her Indian attendant,
Abdul Karim (the Munshi). In 2018, it was renovated for the
Duke and
Duchess of Sussex, who moved into it in the spring of 2019.
[5]
Other residences include:
-
10 Downing Street,
City of Westminster – official residence of the
First Lord of the Treasury (now always the
Prime Minister of the United Kingdom)
-
Chequers,
Ellesborough,
Buckinghamshire – official country house of the Prime Minister
-
11 Downing Street, Westminster – official residence of the
Chancellor of the Exchequer (
Second Lord of the Treasury)
-
12 Downing Street, Westminster – formerly the official residence of the
Chief Whip, now the site of the Downing Street Press Office
-
Dorneywood,
Burnham – official ministerial residence; a country residence usually for use of the Chancellor, or for the
Deputy Prime Minister (used by Chancellor during
May ministry)
-
Admiralty House, Westminster – official ministerial residence
-
1 Carlton Gardens, Westminster – official ministerial residence; usually for the
Foreign Secretary
-
Speaker's House,
Palace of Westminster, Westminster – official residence of the Commons'
Speaker
- Lord Speaker's Apartments, Palace of Westminster, Westminster – official residence of the
Lord Speaker
-
Nottingham Cottage at Kensington Palace – previously occupied by the Duke and Duchess of Sussex until their move to
Frogmore Cottage, which they have also now vacated; previously occupied by other members of the royal family or by senior courtiers
- Garden House,
Mayfair – official residence of the
Commonwealth Secretary-General
-
Adelaide Cottage – a royal family property located just 10 minutes' walk from the King's residence in Windsor, now the home of the
Prince and Princess of Wales and their children
Northern Ireland
Scotland
In popular culture
Mary Treadgold's novel for children, The Winter Princess (1962), concerns a child who comes to stay in a grace and favour apartment at Hampton Court.
[6]
[7]
Gallery
-
View of numbers 10, 11, and 12 Downing Street – official residences of the First Lord of the Treasury (Prime Minister), Second Lord of the Treasury (Chancellor of the Exchequer), and the Chief Whip
-
Chequers – official country residence of the Prime Minister
-
Admiralty House – official ministerial residence
-
Admiralty Arch – formerly an official ministerial residence
-
Hillsborough Castle – official ministerial residence for the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland
-
Palace of Westminster – housing the official residences of the Speaker of the House of Commons and the Lord Speaker of the House of Lords
See also
References