Princess Olga, cousin of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, is one of the stars of ITV’s Keeping Up With The Aristocrats – and revealed on the show the financial hardship of maintaining her 13th-century mansion in Kent, Provender House.
If you’re inclined to help out, you can rent a self-contained wing of the property via Airbnb.
The rental platform also lists two properties belonging to another star of the show – Lord Ivar Mountbatten.
Princess Olga, who appears on ITV’s Keeping Up With The Aristocrats, is renting out a self-contained wing (pictured) of her 13th-century mansion in Kent, Provender House
Princess Olga, 71, inherited Provender House 21 years ago upon the death of her mother
Princess Olga Romanoff, 71, whose great-uncle Tsar Nicholas II was murdered by the Bolsheviks in 1918, was quick to dismiss the general perception of her moneyed class on the show.
‘I’m not your ordinary princess,’ she said. ‘At home you’ll find me shovelling s***, sadly, not eating caviar.’
Twice married and twice divorced, Princess Olga inherited Provender House, in Faversham, 21 years ago upon the death of her mother (her father, Nicholas II’s nephew, had escaped to England). By then the money had run out and it was a ramshackle wreck.
‘When I was a child, it seemed like there was a bottomless pit of money,’ she recalled. ‘And indeed there was until my grandmother died. Then my mother, poor woman, got into deep s**t and the debts just rose and rose and rose.
‘I inherited the house and I realised the house was literally falling down. It’s still falling down, £2.5 million later,’ said Olga dryly. ‘I had to sell some of our Russian heirlooms to fund it.’
Princess Olga’s property, pictured, which sleeps four people and costs £138 per night, is described as a ‘charming cottage’
One of the rooms in Princess Olga’s Airbnb. The rental is ‘perfect for guests who are looking to step back in history while enjoying a relaxing stay in the countryside’
The show revealed that, aside from generating income by renting out one 14th-century wing of the house via Airbnb, she also gives £14-a-head tours to busloads of tourists.
Princess Olga’s Airbnb, which sleeps four people and costs £138 per night, is described as a ‘charming cottage’ that is ‘perfect for guests who are looking to step back in history while enjoying a relaxing stay in the countryside’.
As well as two double bedrooms, the cottage has a kitchen, a lounge area with a dining table, and a bathroom with a tub.
On the ITV series, Princess Olga revealed the financial hardship of maintaining Provender House (pictured)
Guests are invited to ‘bring a book or two’ and relax in front of the property’s wood burner fire.
‘There are bridleways and public footpaths on the doorstep, which are beautiful any time of the year, being in the heart of the Garden of England,’ the Airbnb’s listing adds.
Olga’s daughter, Alexandra, who is the host at Provender House, said: ‘Airbnb is a fantastic way to rent out your home or spare space. It was so easy to use from the outset, we could upload the Wing just from our phone. I can manage everything through the website at a click of a button.
Pictured is the entrance to The Old Stables Garden Wing, one of Lord Ivar Mountbatten’s Airbnbs on the grounds of Bridwell Park
Lord Mountbatten (right) on the show with his husband, James Coyle (left). The couple wed four years ago
‘Airbnb keeps you fully up to date with enquiries, check-ins and even your tax returns; there is nothing they haven’t considered to make hosting seamless and the rate they charge is minimal in comparison to other companies. Airbnb also attracts all different demographics so we get a mixture of people, who so far have been a joy to host.’
Lord Mountbatten, meanwhile, operates two Airbnbs in Uffculme, Devon, set beside his mansion, 18th-century Bridwell Park.
There are two options for guests – The Old Stables Garden Wing or The Old Stables Park Wing.
At £610 per night, the Garden Wing can accommodate up to 10 guests in bedrooms that are ‘tastefully furnished to a high standard with the feel of a five-star hotel’.
A wood-panelled bathroom – filled with White Company toiletries – in the Garden Wing
The beds in the Garden Wing are made with cashmere mattress-toppers and 400-thread-count linens
The beds are made with cashmere mattress-toppers and 400-thread-count linens, and in the bathroom, guests will find rainforest showers and White Company toiletries.
There’s also a farmhouse dining kitchen, ‘a cosy snug sitting room’ and a lawn area with space for ‘al fresco dining’.
The £160-a-night Park Wing, which also sleeps 10 people, features ‘four luxurious, secure bedrooms’, a bathroom with wood-panelled walls, and a coffee station in the hall with a fridge and a microwave – though no kitchen or lounge space. Instead, guests are welcome to drop into the estate’s cafe, The Orangery, for a spot of grub.
The £160-a-night Park Wing (pictured) sleeps 10 people and features ‘four luxurious, secure bedrooms’
There is no kitchen or lounge space at Park Wing (pictured). Instead, guests are welcome to drop into Bridwell Park’s cafe, The Orangery, for a spot of grub
Guests are welcome to roam the surrounding deer park or to hit the estate’s tennis courts
Both Airbnbs are billed as ideal stays for guests ‘who want to live like an aristocrat’ – visitors are welcome to roam the surrounding deer park, or to hit the estate’s tennis courts.
Mountbatten’s husband, James Coyle, who hosts the Airbnbs, says: ‘Situated in the middle of our private estate, the Old Stable listings are right next to the main house so they are in a great location.
‘Security is very important to us and I choose to list my homes solely on Airbnb as you can verify guests in different, reliable ways. I’m pleased to say that we’ve only had positive experiences hosting on Airbnb, have met lots of lovely guests, and would recommend others to look into hosting out their spare rooms for additional income.’
Lord Mountbatten’s own residence, Bridwell Park, pictured, comes with an ornamental lake and a Gothic chapel
Mountbatten, 58, a cousin of both the Queen and Prince Philip, cleans the 100-plus windows of his mansion himself.
The divorced father-of-three made history four years ago when he became the first British royal to enter into a same-sex marriage, with airline steward James.
Bridwell Park comes with an ornamental lake and a Gothic chapel which, while beautiful to look at, are expensive to maintain.
The cast of Keeping Up With The Aristocrats at Renishaw Hall in Derbyshire. Pictured from the left are Alexandra Sitwell and her husband Rick, Princess Olga, Lord Mountbatten and James, and Lord and Lady Fitzalan-Howard
In the series, Lord Ivar and James try to earn a crust by organising a pop-up restaurant at the house in collaboration with French chef Jean-Christophe Novelli, charging guests £165 a head for an exclusive dinner.
It is just one of the ideas Ivar and James have to try and make money to cover the £100,000-a-year it takes to keep the house running.
Keeping Up With The Aristocrats is available on the ITV player.
