Where does Vladimir Putin live? How does the Danish queen spend summer, what happened to the Pope, and why does Angela Merkel prefer an ordinary apartment to luxurious residences? Portal ee24.com decided to gather some information about rulers’ of Europe housing and tell our readers about it.
Modern politicians and power players are not so much of public people as famous actors, popular musicians or sportsmen. However, people are quite concerned about those people’s accommodation conditions, as their decisions directly affect people’s lives. Some politicians use this to improve their image, showing modesty and unpretentiousness. Others, on the contrary, are proud of their high position and swim in luxury. But representatives of ancient royal dynasties, who live in ancient castles and palaces, are above all.
Elizabeth II
British Queen Elizabeth II is officially recognized as the richest monarch in the world. Forbes magazine estimates her fortune at £60 billion (€71.16 billion). The main Elizabeth II’s wealth is real estate in the UK: castles, palaces and other houses.
The most expensive properties that belong to the royal family are the palaces of Buckingham, Kensington, St. James and Holyrood and Windsor Castle. British Queen also owns a rich collection of works of art and ancient artifacts.
Elizabeth II’s palaces, however, are under threat due to lack of funding. British Queen’s palaces are constantly receiving less money from the budget then their due, and the former grandeur fades gradually.
Joseph Ratzinger
A year ago, Pope Benedict XVI abdicated (last time it happened in 1415!) and once again became a mere mortal by the name of Joseph Ratzinger. Although not so "mere", given that the 86-year-old former pontiff will spend the rest of his life in Mater Ecclesiae monastery (Mother of the Church).
John Paul II built the monastery in the gardens of Vatican in 1992. Until recently, the nuns lived here, but in autumn 2012 they had to leave the monastery due to restoration.
The building consists of four floors. Here you can find 12 cells, a kitchen, a refectory and an infirmary. Near the monastery there is a chapel, and around it there is a garden with lemon trees and even the garden with a variety of vegetables. So the ex-Pope will live out his life in peace and comfort.
Silvio Berlusconi
Notorious Italian politician Silvio Berlusconi, being head of government, used to spend vacation in Villa Certosa, located on the Costa Smeralda, Sardinia. Near the house there is a pool, surrounded by a garden with shady alleys.
Original Berlusconi’s character is expressed by the fact that he ordered to make an artificial volcano, create hills and later plant olive trees there. Berlusconi’s villa of 2400 square meters with 35 bedrooms cost the former prime minister €500 million.
In 2008 Silvio bought villa Correnti in Piedmont for €12 million. It is a neoclassical mansion, surrounded by a garden. The house includes 30 rooms and a solarium. And for the owner’s convenience there is a helipad near the building.
Silvio Berlusconi bought another villa at Lake Como, a favorite vacation spot of Italian upper-class. The property dating from 1864, cost him €12 million. The mayor of Milan, Giulio Belinzaghi lived here before Silvio, the villa was named after him. Inside there is a marble ballroom and several bedrooms, and the house is surrounded by a large garden.
Vladimir Putin
According to rumors, spread by Russian and foreign media, Russian President Vladimir Putin owns real estate almost worldwide. The Italian press reported that Putin bought a villa on Sardinia, the British press informed that Putin bought a villa in France.
Tabloids of Albion also spread the rumor that Putin owns a luxury villa in Spain, La Zagaleta, a few kilometers from Marbella. It was reported that legendary musician Rod Stewart and former Moscow Mayor Yuri Luzhkov would become the president’s neighbors.
Putin's house of 18,000 square meters is estimated to cost approximately £15 million (€17.5 million). Villa offers a great view of the Mediterranean Sea, there are 10 bedrooms, spa, a gym, a home theater, two swimming pools, a parking and a garage for 10 cars.
Apart from the rumors, there is official data that unequivocally says where Putin lives: in the residence in Novo-Ogaryovo, a 10-minute drive from Moscow along Rublevskoe highway.
Nicolas Sarkozy
Former French President Nicolas Sarkozy is known for his eccentric character and unpopular economic and political decisions. But now the stormy sea of European politics is behind, and he can relax and enjoy a well-deserved rest.
Currently Sarkozy lives in his wife’s mansion, singer Carla Bruni, in Cap Negre, in the western part of the French Riviera. The mansion is a massive stone building, erected on top of a stone cliff. From outside Sarkozy’s house can seem a real impregnable fortress.
It is curious, that the villa is just a short drive from the Fort de Brégançon, the official residence of French presidents. So if the nation needs the services of Sarkozy once again, he will be able to begin his duties immediately.
Angela Merkel
Angela Merkel, federal Chancellor of Germany, the most powerful country of the European Union. Media is constantly trying to create her an image of a person of iron will and determination, both on duty and in personal life. And it is not right.
The chancellor lives in an absolutely ordinary house in a separate apartment with her husband, and is pleased to make him breakfast in the morning before work. The apartment is located in the city center just opposite the famous Pergamon Museum. A funny story is related to this museum. At some point, the German intelligence services found out that surveillance cameras, installed under the roof of the complex, view the Chancellor’s apartment in full. Urgent actions had to be taken.
The Chancellor’s apartment is not particularly guarded. There are only a couple of policemen near the entrance. Once they did not let Merkel home, as sappers were removing an unexploded Soviet bomb from World War II nearby.
Juan Carlos
King of Spain Juan Carlos showed hefty scrupulous in the choice of his official residence. He consistently refused the Oriente Palace, where there his grandfather Alfonso XIII’s court used to be, and the Palace of El Pardo, where dictator Franco lived for four decades. The king made his choice in favor of the hunting pavilion Zarzuela, located in an amazingly beautiful park in a suburb of Madrid.
It’s curious, that this palace is a state property. The king obeys Spanish laws and pays taxes annually, unlike many other royal families.
Prince of Monaco Albert II
Prince's Palace in Monaco was built in the XII century as a fortress and official residence of the Genoese rulers of Monaco from Grimaldi family. Today Prince of Monaco Albert II and his wife Charlene Wittstock live there. The palace is guarded by guardsmen round the clock.
At the entrance to the palace there is a sculpture with an inscription: "A gift from foreign colonists to His Royal Highness Prince Albert I in honor of 25 years of rule", and "Science reveals the riches of the ocean". Prince’s sisters, Caroline and Stephanie’s house is located near the palace.
Hans-Adam II
Hans-Adam II, the reigning Prince of Liechtenstein since 1989. The 69-year-old prince lives in Vaduz castle, located on a hill above the town with the same name, the capital of Liechtenstein. Castle chapel is made in the late Gothic style, and the main gates are 11 meters high. The prince owns LGT banking group and a huge collection of artworks. Prince’s fortune is estimated at $11 billion (€8 billion).
Beatrix, Queen of the Netherlands
Princess Beatrix Armgard is the former Queen of the Netherlands, who abdicated in favor of her son in 2013. Palace Huis ten Bos (House in the Forest) on the outskirts of The Hague is the official residence of the house of Orange’s head of. A copy of the palace in full size you can see in the amusement park dedicated to Holland, in the Japanese city of Sasebo.
Albert II of Belgium
Another crowned head, who abdicated from throne, is a former Belgian King Albert II. In summer 2013 he passed down the throne to his son Philip, saving for himself, however, the title of king.
Royal Palace in Brussels, known as Palais Royal, is the official residence of the king, although he prefers to live in the palace Laeken. The Royal Palace is an amazing monument of neoclassicism and opens its doors to tourists every summer.
Margrethe II of Denmark
But the head of Denmark, Queen Margrethe II, at 73 years old is not even thinking of abdicating from throne. Besides the fact that she is the queen, she is also a talented artist. She also likes to smoke a pipe with East Indian tobacco. The Queen has several palaces: in winter she likes to live in Marselisborg palace, in summer in residence in Amalienborg, and in spring and autumn the Queen lives in Fredensborg Palace.
Henri - Grand Duke of Luxembourg
Duke Henri is the head of Luxembourg. This 58-year-old politician is first of all known to Europeans for his harsh statements against euthanasia. Henry is a member of the International Olympic Committee. Palace of the Grand Dukes is the official residence of Luxembourg rulers. It is a luxurious residence, located in the heart of the city. It was built in 1572 as the town hall, but later it became the Grand Duke’s residence.
Carl XVI
King Carl XVI Gustaf of Sweden is the seventh representative of Bernadotte dynasty. The Royal Palace in Stockholm is the official residence of the King. Private residence of the Swedish king is in the palace Drottningholm. In the building there are 609 rooms, and it is considered to be one of the largest royal palaces in the world.
As a bonus: Boris Berezovsky
Boris Berezovsky, a former oligarch, who had a great influence on Russian politics and Vladimir Putin as a personal enemy, lived in England for a long time after he escaped from Russia. Here he bought several houses. The first of them is a wonderful Tudor-style house, located in Surrey, in the midst of a beautiful garden. Interiors of the house are made of elite wood. The house includes eight bedrooms, a library and a huge fireplace made of marble. Here the disgraced oligarch lived with his wife Elena and four children.
A house in Ascot, Berkshire became the last refuge for the tycoon. The house is located in the exclusive area where the rich prefer to settle. The lifeless body of Boris Berezovsky was found there last March.
Text: Ivan Ulitin, especially for ee24.com