The British royal family’s surprisingly frugal habits
The Queen of thrift

Growing up during the Great Depression and the Second World War left Queen Elizabeth II with a "make do and mend" attitude. Whether it's taking the train, re-wearing an outfit or turning off the central heating, Her Majesty shows that it's possible to be thrifty and still live like a queen. And it's an approach that she has passed down to her family. Click or scroll through to discover ways the British royals follow her lead.
Wartime water rationing

The Queen's thriftiness is in line with that of her father, George VI (pictured left), who became king just three years before the outbreak of the Second World War. The king, who remained at Buckingham Palace throughout, had black lines painted into the royal baths so no-one could use more than their allocated five inches of hot water in a bid to support the war effort.
Cook from scratch

Home cooking is always more economical than eating out and some members of the royal family are said to be keen cooks. Kate was regularly spotted in the local supermarket when she and Prince William (pictured helping out in a kitchen) lived in Wales and the late Prince Philip was sometimes seen barbecuing in Balmoral. Prince Harry even proposed to Meghan Markle while roasting a chicken during a cosy night in at their cottage.
Victorian-style repairs

The Queen's favourite summer retreat is Balmoral Castle in the Scottish Highlands. The castle was built in 1856 and is privately owned by the royal family, unlike Buckingham Palace, and any damage to the walls is patched up with wallpaper left over from Queen Victoria's era. After all, why spend more money on wallpaper when you've got some bought by your great-great-granny?
Re-wear wedding outfits

'Credit crunch couture'

'Turn the lights off!'

Save gift wrap and ribbons

The Queen is also thrifty during the most wasteful of seasons, Christmas. After gifts are opened on 24 December, in line with the family's German roots, she carefully collects up the leftover wrapping paper and ribbons to save for another year, according to biographer Kate Williams. Parcel string is also saved to be used again.
Porridge for breakfast

Make do and mend

Shop on the high street

Fly economy to save money

The Queen may not generally fly on commercial airlines but her grandchildren do, particularly for personal visits. The royal family are entitled to a private jet if travelling on state business but otherwise need to use regular airlines like the rest of us. Princes William and Harry were spotted flying on budget carrier Flybe after attending their cousin Zara's wedding in Edinburgh in 2011, the airline William and Kate also used in 2019 when travelling to Aberdeen with their children to join the Queen and her late husband Prince Philip at her Balmoral estate.
McDonald's as a Saturday treat

Despite her sons being heir to the throne, Princess Diana always wanted William and Harry to have as normal a life as possible while they were growing up. One of their most important weekend rituals as children was popping out to McDonald's for a Big Mac and fries on a Saturday night, according to her former butler Paul Burrell. They'd then head home and watch former UK TV dating show Blind Date.
Time warp wardrobe

Do your own wedding make-up

£8 Christmas puddings

Tradition dictates that all the staff at Buckingham Palace receive a Christmas pudding each year – but in 2017 luxury store Harrods was shunned for a supermarket alternative, namely from Tesco. An £8 ($11.10) Christmas pudding from their Finest range was distributed to each of the 1,500-strong team of staff, alongside a card from the Queen and the late Prince Philip thanking them for their service, according to a British newspaper.
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Gag gifts for Christmas

Hand-me-down toys

Perfect nails for less

Cut back on canapes

Back in 2010, Prince Charles started to host drinks parties instead of lavish dinners in an attempt to cut back on entertaining. His private secretary, Michael Peat, said that the royal household was "always keeping an eye on the economic climate", adding: "We do live in the real world – for the most part anyhow." And it worked. In the 2009/10 fiscal year, Charles's entertaining bill dropped from about £800,000 ($1.2m) to £380,000 ($566k) despite hosting 9,400 people at his residence, Clarence House.
Rent a television

Take home a doggy bag

Meghan made her public debut as Harry's girlfriend at the 2017 Invictus Games in Toronto and later upped her down-to-earth credentials by being spotted with what appeared to be a takeaway. The one-time actress was photographed getting out of a car carrying a plastic bag full of leftovers the following day, although one newspaper noted that she was wearing £495 ($686) pair of pointy-toe Sarah Flint pumps at the time.
Wear hand-me-down shoes

Dress in your dad's clothing

Give a warm welcome

Buckingham Palace is notoriously draughty but the frugal Queen is apparently not too keen on central heating. So instead she plumps for a small student-style electric heater to provide her guests with a warm welcome. Look closely and you can spot it in the fireplace when she met Mohammed bin Salman, the Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia, during a private audience.
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Stick with tradition

When Prince Louis was christened in 2018, he was wearing a replica of the royal christening gown which was in danger of falling apart. The original was commissioned by Queen Victoria for the birth of her first child, Princess Victoria, in 1841. But after being worn by 62 royal babies over the years, the Queen commissioned her senior dresser, Angela Kelly, to make an exact replica in 2008. James, Viscount Severn, was the first to wear the new one and all royal babies have done so since.
The thrifty traveller

Clothing ration coupons

When the Queen married Prince Philip in 1947, rationing was still in place after the Second World War. So the then-Princess Elizabeth used clothing ration coupons to pay for her wedding dress, designed by Sir Norman Hartnell. Hundreds of people from across the country apparently sent in their own coupons to help with her outfit, but they had to be returned as it would have been illegal to use them.
£2 bet on the horses

Sophie, Countess of Wessex, was spotted putting a £2 ($2.75) bet on four different horses on the second day of 2018's Royal Ascot event. The low wager was probably a good thing as none of her horses crossed the finish line in first place. But it clearly didn't ruin her day, and she looked like she was enjoying herself throughout.
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Train travel

It may come as a bit of a surprise for commuters, but the Queen is known for travelling by train when she heads to and from the Sandringham Estate for Christmas. In 2017's festive season, she caught the train from London King's Cross to King's Lynn in December, then travelled back again in early February. Assuming she had a Senior Railcard, her ticket would have cost a mere £38.74 ($47.70).
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Repair not replace

If you’ve ever wondered why the Queen is always spotted wearing gloves, there’s actually a very practical reason – to protect her from germs when shaking hands with the public. According to royal glove-maker Genevieve Lawson, the Queen orders new gloves every 18 months or so, but also sends old pairs back for minor repairs like restitching the seams. In fact, the thrifty Queen reportedly still owns pairs of gloves that are 40 years old!
Homemade gifts

Picking out the perfect Christmas gift must be stressful when your grandmother-in-law is the Queen, but Kate Middleton appears to have hit the nail on the head when she gave the Queen homemade chutney in 2011. According to a royal expert, the modest present helped "forge a bond" of mutual respect between the two women.
Thrifty phones

While the royals can easily afford the latest tech, the Queen reportedly still uses an antique Bakelite rotary dial telephone to call the Prime Minister. Meanwhile, Kate Middleton has been spotted using an outdated corded landline. According to royal experts, the frugal Queen believes in the adage "if it ain't broke, don't fix it."
flat pack furniture

While Ikea furniture is commonplace in your average home, you might be surprised to discover that William and Kate use the inexpensive brand to outfit their luxury apartment in Kensington Palace. During a visit to the National Museum of Architecture and Design in Stockholm in 2018, the penny-pinching Duchess revealed to Ikea's Head of Design that she had decked out her children's bedrooms with furniture from the low-cost company.
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