Princess Beatrice is looking to buy a new family home.
The 32-year-old royal and her husband Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi had been living in a £20,000-a-year four-bedroom apartment in St. James Palace – which she originally shared with her sister, Princess Eugenie – but the couple have been househunting in and around the Cotswolds, where they are on the lookout for a “sizeable” abode.
Earlier this month, Beatrice and Edoardo – who has son Wolfie with former partner Dara Huang – viewed a property in Oxfordshire which boasts a “party barn” and a swimming pool and is up for sale for around £3 million.
A source told the Mail on Sunday newspaper: “The owner was very excited Bea had been round, though she tried to keep it quiet.”
The couple are said to be “keen” to put in an offer for the property and would find themselves living close to a number of friends, including model Kate Moss and singer Ellie Goulding.
The house is next door to Blenheim Palace, the ancestral seat of Prince Harry’s friend George Spencer-Churchill.
And once the couple are settled in their new home, insiders expect they will be planning to have children together.
A source said: “Edo is keen to give Wolfie a brother or sister, and a sprawling manor house would be the perfect place to start their family.”
Beatrice recently spoke of how much she’s enjoyed bonding with her stepson by reading with him.
She said: “This year, I had the great honour to become a stepmother, and have had the most remarkable time going back over some of my most favourite stories at bedtime.
“Together, we had such a special time reading through all the entries for Oscars Book Prize 2020…
“My stepson has been, as many children have, home schooling this term.
“Helping him to engage with stories is a great journey to inspire imagination, creativity, independence and humour. If you have not yet read the ‘Oi Frog’ books by Kes Grey and Jim Field, they have fast become our favourite.
“We have all had to learn new ways to cope with the strangest of times. For our family, reading stories has been a great part of our journey to finding laughter and a little magic on the journey.”