Latest news with #CarolineWestbrook
Metro
16 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Metro
14 things Brits living in the US miss most about the UK
Caroline Westbrook Published June 19, 2025 10:32am Link is copied Comments There's many things we're known for in the UK, from our Royal Family and our iconic tourist attractions through to food and drink which only the British could possibly take to their hearts. Which means that those citizens who might have upped sticks and moved across the pond are bound to miss certain aspects of British culture - particularly food items and other things which aren't going to be quite the same in the US. But just what do British people living in America miss most about Blighty? Read on to find out more... (Picture: Getty Images) It might be one of those things you either love or hate but Marmite remains ridiculously popular among Brits in the US - actor Bill Nighy has even shared stories of being stopped at Heathrow border control for trying to leave the country with a jar in his luggage. While it may have a low profile there, and be hard to find outside of specialist food shops, a recent tongue-in-cheek ad campaign by adam&eveDDB has been calling out for 'Marmite smugglers' to try and get a jar through border control - while a flyposting campaign in New York is aiming to introduce locals to its yeasty goodness. So perhaps it could take off after all (Picture: Getty Images) Whenever this question comes up, this always seems to feature high on the list of things which just aren't the same on the other side of the Atlantic. Jeremy Davis of YouTube duo Magic Geekdom said of the pub: '[In the UK] people socialise and hang out and eat food - you can meet some really cool people. I feel that's not what happens in the U.S. [Here] it doesn't have the same feeling of friendliness' (Picture: Getty Images/Mint Images RF) Here's one which expats are always bringing up - according to them the humble crumpet is very hard to come by in the US, unless you can find yourself a supermarket stocking British treats, or make them yourself. On Reddit, one person commented: 'I found them in the freezer of British shop. Didn't think to look there. You would have thought I won the lottery the way I was jumping around screaming' (Picture: Getty Images) This is one which seems to strike a chord with expats, who have said that US bacon doesn't taste half as good as the stuff you get in the UK. 'It's all streaky in US, no back bacon,' one person commented on Reddit. The difference in taste may be down to the way it's made though, as explained by a Quora user: 'American bacon is typically made from pork belly and is cured and smoked. It is known for its crispy texture and salty flavor. On the other hand, British bacon is often made from pork loin and is typically less fatty than American bacon.' So now you know why your bacon sandwich doesn't taste nearly the same across the pond (Picture: Getty Images) Is there anything better than having butter oozing from your freshly toasted slice of sourdough? Not according to Brits living in the US, who reckon the butter there just isn't as good as it is back home. Martha Stewart reveals on her website the differences are down to the manufacturing process - while American butter has to contain only a minimum of 80% butterfat, European butter has between 82 and 85%, which makes all the difference. It is possible to get European butter though, with people flocking to a YouTube video by Those Two Brits where they discussed US butter being 'white' rather than yellow. 'Butter that's white tends to come from grain fed cows which is most of America, yellow butter is the old school grass fed cows, but because all milk has to be pasteurized here no matter what all the yellow tends to come out anyway leaving the white,' one person explained (Picture: Getty Images) While we're at it, many Brits living in the US have said they miss British bread - hinting that a decent loaf you can use to make sandwiches or toast isn't nearly so easy to come by. A Reddit user commented: 'I find most of the bread here is sweetish which I don't like. I look for Italian or French to get around that but it's always tiny slices. I still miss the bread from home.' Another added: 'There is good bread but you normally have to find specialised bakers' (Picture: Getty Images) In the UK we might be accustomed to hopping on the bus, taking the Tube or just walking to the local high street or wherever we want to go - but with many places in the US only accessible by car, expats are quick to admit they miss it. One Reddit user admitted they missed 'it being normal to walk about', while a second added: 'Much of the US is definitely not designed with pedestrians in mind. All of which would seem to fit in with 2023 research from Virginia Tech and Rutgers University, which found that just 12% of all trips in the US are walked (Picture: Getty Images) Here's one people definitely felt when they moved to the US - that sense of humour which is so unique to Brits. One said on Reddit: 'It sounds like something so stupid and minor, but it really, really got to me,' while a second added: 'They don't really do humour/banter in the same way. Irony, wit, satire, sarcasm, under/overstatement etc are quite lost on them. They often take what's being said at face value' (Picture: Getty Images) Cadbury's Dairy Milk is of course one of Britain's greatest treasures - but Brits living in the US have admitted good chocolate is hard to find there, and that the local equivalent just doesn't compare. 'The first time I really missed something about the UK was at college here,' one said on Reddit. 'I'd had a long week, just got out of a long class and all I wanted was a bar of chocolate from the vending machine. I'd let my guard down and forgot where I was. The instant I realized there would be no proper Cadburys chocolate in there I was absolutely crestfallen' (Picture: Getty Images) Us Brits tend to be spoiled when it comes to holidays from work, with many of us getting five weeks leave per year or in some cases, more. But it's a different story for those of us working in the US - of course, we get time off but not nearly as much. 'I miss having TIME OFF,' commented one Redditor. 'It's a foreign concept here. I've only just started a full time job after being a student here so I'm just starting to feel the effects of having no annual leave - God help me' (Picture: Getty Images) If you're a British person living in the US it's inevitable you're going to miss tea - given the enormous part popping the kettle on for a cuppa plays in our culture. While you can get tea in the US of course it tends to be served without milk - with the Tea Association of America saying that in 2021 around 84% of all tea consumed was black tea, 15% was green Tea and the remainder was other types such as Oolong and white tea. Whether or not any of it was your bog standard PG Tips with a splash of semi-skimmed remains to be seen (Picture: Getty Images) If you're a fan of a decent strong Cheddar you might struggle if you live in the US, where Brits have complained the cheese is orange, soft and not nearly as good as the stuff you get on these shores. 'I missed real cheese,' complained one, 'had to pay $10+ for the little block of cheddar that's a couple of quid here' (Credits: Getty Images/500px) Having a baby? If you're in the UK you can look forward to several months of maternity leave to bond with your new arrival - which can vary depending on where you work and what they offer. In the US though, it's a different story, and one which hasn't escaped the notice of Brits living there. 'When I tell Americans I get 12 weeks they exclaim how lucky I am,' one said. 'I then tell them that in the UK I would have got 9 months, including time off before the baby to get ready. Here I was in labour at work, finished my shift and gave birth the following morning' (Picture: Getty Images/iStockphoto) Finally, we're guessing that those of you living in the US might miss some of the chains we have in the UK - with the likes of M&S, Waitrose and Tesco all mentioned by expats chatting online. However one favourite which seems to come up quite regularly is Greggs - as it's one place which has yet to make it across the pond and Brits are definitely missing the chance to pop into their local branch for a steak bake. One said they miss 'Greggs, curry, Greggs, biscuits, Greggs, Mum and Dad's Sunday lunch, Greggs, cheese that isn't Kraft or super expensive, Greggs, scotch eggs, Greggs, the meal deal boxes where you could build your own curry or Chinese, Greggs, prawn crackers, full English breakfast, and Greggs.' Yep, we get the point... (Picture: Getty Images) This article was originally published in May 2024
Metro
a day ago
- Health
- Metro
Millions face junk food ban as three US states join crackdown on snacks
Caroline Westbrook Published June 19, 2025 2:26pm Link is copied Comments Millions of people across the US are facing a crackdown on junk food, after a further three states confirmed they would ban those who claim SNAP benefits from using them to buy sugary drinks and snacks. U.S. Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins has approved waivers for Arkansas, Idaho and Utah - joining Indiana, Nebraska, Texas and Iowa - to amend the statutory definition of food and drink which is eligible for purchase under the program (Picture: Getty Images) SNAP - which stands for Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, and which was formerly known as food stamps - is currently claimed by 41.6m Americans on low incomes. Recipients can use their benefits at selected grocery stores and restaurants. According to the USDA they can be used to buy any food for the household, including meat, poultry and fish, fruits and vegetables, dairy products, breads and cereals, snack foods, non-alcoholic drinks and seeds or plants which can be used to produce food. They cannot be used to purchase alcohol, tobacco, vitamins and supplements, pet foods, cleaning supplies or any food which is hot at the point of sale (Picture: Getty Images) However the new restrictions will prevent people from using SNAP to pay for products such as candy bars and potato chips. Sodas and sugary drinks will also face a clampdown, with any non-alcoholic drinks made with water that also contain more than five grams of added sugar, or any amount of artificial sweetener, will be off-limits. Milk-based drinks and fruit juice will not be included in the ban (Picture: Getty Images) The rules will, however vary from one state to the next. In Nebraska, for example, only soda and energy drinks will be banned, whereas in Iowa snacks, candy and sweetened drinks will all be unavailable to purchase with SNAP benefits. Those who claim them will still be able to purchase the items for the time being - as the waivers in Utah, Idaho, Nebraska, Indiana and Iowa will take effect from January 1 2026, while the new rules will apply in Arkansas from July 1 2026. Meanwhile the Texas Tribune has reported that the ban there could go into effect as soon as September 1 (Picture: Getty Images) The move comes as Republican legislators attempt to improve the eating habits of Americans. Rollins said in a statement: 'The Trump Administration is unified in improving the health of our nation. America's governors have proudly answered the call to innovate by improving nutrition programs, ensuring better choices while respecting the generosity of the American taxpayer' (Picture:) Meanwhile Health Secretary Robert F Kennedy Jr has advised all state governors to follow suit and eliminate sugary drinks from the SNAP program, saying 'Taxpayer dollars should never bankroll products that fuel the chronic disease epidemic' (Picture:) It follows Kennedy Jr's push to have synthetic dyes removed from US food, in his bid to make the nation's diet healthier. The politician said in a press release: 'For too long, some food producers have been feeding Americans petroleum-based chemicals without their knowledge or consent. These poisonous compounds offer no nutritional benefit and pose real, measurable dangers to our children's health and development' (Picture:)
Metro
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Metro
10 action movies which we'll never get to see – and the reasons why
Caroline Westbrook Published June 16, 2025 12:17pm Link is copied Comments Whether you're a fan or not, there's no denying that action movies are massive. With summer on our doorstep and blockbuster season underway, we're set to welcome a whole load of them into cinemas in the coming weeks. Mission: Impossible - The Final Reckoning and John Wick: Ballerina are already out there, but you can expect the likes of F1, Jurassic World: Rebirth, Nobody 2, Predator: Badlands, and The Fantastic Four: First Steps to come along before the season is out. But for every action epic that smashes onto the screen, the path is littered with the ashes of others that might have seemed like box office gold at the time, but for whatever reason just never made it out of the starting blocks. Imagine what might have been if some of these had been made... (Picture: Warner Bros/Everett/REX/Shutterstock) Superman might be about to fly on to screens yet again this summer but this particular incarnation of the man of steel didn't even get off the ground. The movie, which was due to go before the cameras in the 1990s, was to be directed by Tim Burton, with Nicolas Cage donning the infamous red and blue suit to play Clark Kent/Superman. And with a cast which was also due to include Chris Rock as Jimmy Olsen, Sandra Bullock as Lois Lane, and Christopher Walken as Braniac, what was not to like? Sadly the film suffered production issues and script rewrites, with Warner Bros pulling the plug just weeks before shooting was set to begin - despite having already spent $30m (£23m) on costumes and promotional material. For those still wondering what might have been, a documentary, The Death Of Superman Lives: What Happened?, was released in 2015 and can be seen on YouTube There's no shortage of video game to movie adaptations, although some have proven more successful than others (take a bow, Super Mario Bros and Minecraft for example). But others didn't achieve the same rise to stardom. Among those is the proposed adaptation of Halo, despite an impressive pedigree which would have seen Peter Jackson producing and Neill Blomkamp (District 9) directing a screenplay by Alex Garland (Civil War, The Beach). What happened? Lack of financing is what happened, with Fox and Universal both interested in the project, and work beginning on props for the film, before disagreements over the spiralling budget led to it being shelved. While the game did later get a live-action web series, we'll always be left to wonder what might have been (Picture: Microsoft) Back in the 90s, Arnold Schwarzenegger ruled the box office with hits including Total Recall, Terminator 2, Kindergarten Cop, True name it. So it seemed as if one planned project - a big-budget epic set during the titular Crusades which would reunite the Austrian star with Paul Verhoeven - would be big screen gold. And it might have been if it ever got made. Sets for the film were already being built in Spain for the epic but makers Carolco pulled the plug amid budget concerns, after the cost threatened to spiral. Instead, they went on to make pirate adventure Cutthroat Island - which did so badly at the box office it proved to be the death knell for the studio. Had Crusade made it to cinemas things could have been very different. And speaking of Arnie... (Picture:) One of Arnold Schwarzenegger's most popular 90s movies was True Lies, the 1994 summer smash in which the actor plays a secret agent hiding his true profession from his family. Plans were afoot for Arnie to reunite with director James Cameron on a follow-up, but both found themselves busy with other ventures. At one point it looked as though it might go ahead, with True Lies 2 tentatively slated to go before the cameras in 2002, but like the Forrest Gump sequel, the impact of the 9/11 attacks caused the director to change his mind about making the movie altogether. We can only imagine what might have been (Picture: Zade Rosenthal/Lightstorm/20th Century Fox/Kobal/REX/Shutterstock) This one might have seemed seemed like a no-brainer at the time, given it came from the imagination of Jurassic Park author Michael Crichton - but somehow it never materalised. Airframe, a novel about a quality assurance officer investigating a mysterious in-flight accident on a plane, was published in 1996 and was set to follow other Crichton adaptations including Congo, Rising Sun and Disclosure to the screen. Touchstone Pictures - a subsidiary of Disney - had snapped up to the rights to the novel before it was even published, with the likes of Gwyneth Paltrow and Demi Moore tipped to star. So what happened? Well according to the LA Times, Crichton was unable to find a script he liked - leading to the project being taken out of development and the author returning the $10m (£7.3m) advance he had been given by the studio. To this date it remains one of the few Crichton novels not to be made into a movie (Picture:) Here's another 90s movie which could well have raked in the millions. Crisis In The Hot Zone, based on a New Yorker article-turned-novel by Richard Preston about a US Ebola outbreak, was all set to go before the cameras with Ridley Scott directing, and Robert Redford and Jodie Foster starring. Except makers Fox struggled with budget constraints, as well as casting issues, leading to delays in the project. At which point Warner Bros stepped in with their own virus actioner, Outbreak - and despite the tendency in the 90s for two movies with very similar subject matters to compete with each other, it didn't happen this time. Fox pulled the plug on Crisis and it was never made You might wonder what's going on here because hasn't there already been a film of Dune? Well yes. Several in fact. And a sequel, one which even nabbed itself a best picture nomination at the Oscars. But there's one version of the Frank Herbert novel which ended up dead in the - how shall we put this - dunes - that director Alejandro Jodorowsky was all set to direct. And this one was certainly different, with the El Topo director keen to give viewers a psychedelic experience. Ultimately though Jodorowsky's project - and its 1,200 storyboards - failed to make it to the screen due to lack of financing. Producer Dino De Laurentiis ultimately snapped up the rights to the book in 1982, with David Lynch's version hitting screens in 1984. Which Jodorowsky subsequently described as 'terrible'. Ouch (Picture: Funcom) Another video game adaptation which never got out of the starting gate, Castlevania. A gothic horror franchise, involving Count Dracula and the vampire-hunting Belmont clan, was all set to get the live action treatment courtesy of Paul W S Anderson (Resident Evil). Although the project was announced in 2007, it never happened. Although it's not clear why the project stalled, that hasn't stopped fans from clamouring for it. In fact, various fan-made trailers, featuring the likes of Johnny Depp and Robert Pattinson in the lead roles, have surfaced online, while a poster featuring Depp as the Count went viral when it did the rounds earlier this year. For now? Fans can make do with the Netflix animated series, which debuted in 2017 and ran for four seasons (Picture: Netflix/Everett/Shutterstock) The past couple of decades have given us our fair share of Mummy movies, right from the original 1999 version which saw Brendan Fraser and Rachel Weisz chasing the titular monster. Sequels followed, from 2001's inevitable The Mummy 2 through to spin-off movie The Scorpion King, a video game and an animated TV series. But even a franchise this successful isn't without its problems, and when 2017's reboot The Mummy, starring Tom Cruise and Sofia Boutella, was a box office flop, plans for the follow-up, Rise Of The Aztecs (or The Mummy 4, to put it another way)y, were promptly shelved (Picture: Universal/Kobal/REX/Shutterstock) Film fans have no shortage of Alien movies to get to grips with, from the terrifying 1979 original through to 2024's Alien: Romulus. But one entry into the franchise which we'll never get to see is Alien 5: Awakening - which marks yet another cancelled project for the director Neill Blomkamp. The movie, a direct sequel to Aliens which took place around 30 years after the events of that film, was set to feature Ripley, Hicks and a grown-up Newt. However, following the disappointing box office of 2017's Alien: Covenant, Fox scrapped the project altogether. So this is one screen reunion we'll never get to see (Picture: 20th Century Fox/Kobal/REX/ Shutterstock) Next Gallery
Metro
05-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Metro
Netflix's newest hit watched over 15,400,000 times to top global film charts
Caroline Westbrook Published June 5, 2025 3:45pm Link is copied Comments Summer is here, and with the temperature rising and the days at their longest it's all too tempting to switch off the TV and head outside to enjoy the sunshine. But over on Netflix it's business as usual, with the streaming platform dishing up enough feature-length gems to keep your screen sizzling over the warmer months. This week sees some of the more popular movies of recent weeks hanging in there, along with some tantalising newcomers to enjoy from Spain, Argentina and India. But can Fear Street: Prom Queen carve out a place at the top of the charts for another week? Read on to find out what you've all been watchin...(Picture: Jakub Porzycki/NurPhoto via Getty Images) After six whole weeks in the top ten,. it looks as though Tom Hardy's fast-paced action thriller might finally be on the way out. Directed by Gareth Evans, (The Raid) the actor plays Detective Walker, a shady cop forced to navigate a city's criminal underworld after a drug deal goes awry. Plenty of brutal, visceral action follows (Picture: Netflix) The first of this week's new entries is the latest instalment in this popular Indian action, Telugu-language franchise. The story follows a ruthless cop (Nani) who is sent by the Homicide Intervention Team (the titular HIT) to track down a group of killers on a grisly murder spree. Despite scoring mixed reviews when it was released in cinemas earlier this year, it's been a box office hit - with a fourth movie in the works (Picture: Netflix) Next up, it's another new entry from India - this one a Hindi-language action drama which flopped at the box office but is finding new life on Netflix. Salman Khan stars as the title character, an heir to the Rajkot Dynasty of Gujarat - who is motivated by a tragic accident to change the lives of three people, only to find himself targeted by a vengeful politician (Picure: Pen Marudhar Entertainment/Netflix) The Shrek movies have remained hugely popular over the past couple of decades - as have the spin-off movies dedicated to the swashbuckling Puss In Boots. This one - technically the sixth film in the Shrek franchise - sees our feline favourite (voiced by Antonio Banderas) heading off on a quest to restore eight of his nine lives, with a little help from regular sidekick Kitty Softpaws (Salma Hayek) (Picture: NBC Universal) If you haven't yet seen this smash hit charmer - a former chart-topper featuring a host of famous faces - then add it to your watch list immediately. Nonnas, which stars Susan Sarandon, Talia Shire, Brenda Vaccaro, Lorraine Bracco and Vince Vaughn, tells the true story of Joe Scarvarella, the Staten Island restaurateur who honours his late mother by opening an Italian restaurant staffed by grandmothers (Picture: Jeong Park/Netflix) It's not just Netflix newcomers that are racking up millions in the top 10 this week - as this 2023 blockbuster has also been making waves. Jason Momoa reprises his role as the DC Comics hero in this sequel to the 2018 hit, this time joining forces with his half-brother Orm (Patrick Wilson) to stop Black Manta (Yahya Abdul-Mateen II) from killing his family and using the cursed Black Trident to cause chaos (Picture: Warner Bros/Everett/REX/ Shutterstock) Here's a film that was not only a hit with critics - becoming one of the best reviewed movies of 2024 - but with audiences too. The Wild Robot tells the story of Roz (Lupita Nyong'o), a service robot who crash-lands on a remote, uninhabited island during a storm, and has to learn to adapt to the unfamiliar surroundings - finding her purpose when she adopts an orphaned baby goose. A sequel to this gorgeous, visually stunning tale is on the way, so grab the chance to see the original while it's there (Picture: Universal Pictures) Another new entry now, and this one's a drama from Argentina, about a businessman who has a heart transplant and undergoes a personality shift, finding out more about the life of his donor and exploring his community. In doing so he meets the dead man's widow and falls for her, while secretly helping her neighbourhood. But she will discover his connection to her late husband? (Picture: Netflix) After spending last week at number one this latest instalment in the Fear Street series has been scared off the top spot Based on the novels by RL Stine, it offers up plenty of 80s-era slasher movie thrills as the senior class of Shadyside High gears up for prom night and the election of its queen, with underdog Lori going head-to-head against the more popular girls. However, the night turns deadly when a masked killer starts picking off the candidates (Picture: Alan Markfield/Netflix) Crashing straight into the charts at number one is this Spanish murder mystery, which has racked up an impressive number of views in its first week of release. Based on the real-life case of engineer Antonio Navarro Cerdan, who was stabbed to death in Patraix, Valencia, in 2017, it follows the investigation into the murder of a young man in the Spanish city - which uncovers some dark secrets as his widow's hidden double life is revealed (Picture: Netflix Inc./Manuel Fernandez Valdes. All Rights Reserved)
Metro
15-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Metro
7 of the most expensive houses in the world – with price tags reaching the billions
Caroline Westbrook Published May 14, 2025 11:08am Link is copied Comments They say that your house is the most expensive purchase you'll ever make - and for many getting on the property ladder remains a pipe dream. But what if money were no object? Then you might want to consider moving into one of the world's most expensive homes with eye-wateringly high price tags which, in some cases, even run into the billions. However, these are the sorts of properties which come complete with every home comfort you could ever want, meaning you might never need to leave the house again. Here's the homes with the biggest asking prices in the world, according to (Picture: Getty Images) Kicking off in the UK, this property is located slap bang in the middle of a street known as Billionaires Row - renowned for housing some of the world's most expensive homes, including this one. Its owners have included F1 magnate Bernie Ecclestone as well as Indian steel billionaire Lakshmi Mittal, with the street itself also being home to diplomatic missions and embassies. If you want to live here, be prepared to shell out a cool $222 million (£176.6 million) (Picture: Alamy Stock Photo) Over to the French Riviera for the sixth most expensive property on the list, which is a luxurious apartment sitting on top of a skyscraper in the principality of Monaco. The flat sits on the fifth floor of the building, around 170 metres high, and boasts such luxuries as a rooftop pool and a private screening room. Although it's also caused controversy due to the tower's impact on the cityscape and the influence on prices in the neighbouring French town of Beausoleil. None of which have made much difference to the price tag of $330 million (£262.7 million) (Picture: Caters) Aka the 'Palace of Bubbles', this unusual property near Cannes in the south of France was built in 1989 for French industrialist Pierre Bernard, but was later bought by fashion designer Pierre Cardin. The house features 1,200 square feet of space along with 10 bedrooms - each of which has been individually decorated by a different artist - 11 bathrooms, an open-air 500-seat amphitheater, swimming pools and water features. And it's worth around $420 million (£330 million) (Picture: Getty Images) Back to France for this luxurious estate, which is situated on the Riviera and is one of the oldest properties on this list, dating all the way back to 1830 - although it came into its own when it was acquired by King Leopold of Belgium in 1904, who renovated the property and gave it its name. It's an impressive 18,000 sq ft, with 14 bedrooms and a library filled with rare books. It's worth around $450 million (£352 million) (Picture: Bloomberg via Getty Images) Another French property, this one is located in Villefranche-sur-Mer and was another property owned by King Leopold II of Belgium. In fact it was built for his mistress, Caroline Lacroix, and later used as a military hospital during the First World War. It's had several owners in its time, most recently Russian billionaire businessman Mikhail Prokhorov, who bought it off previous owner Lily Safra in 2008. Its opulent interiors and 50-acre grounds will set you back around $750 million (£598 million) (Picture: Getty Images) Located on Altamont Road, said to be Mumbai's most exclusive street, Antilia - named after a mythical island off the coast of Europe - is said to be worth an eye-watering $2,000,000,000 (£1.5 billion), making it the world's most expensive private residence. The property is owned by billionaire businessman Mukesh Ambani, and while it's unclear which of his family members live there, the house takes some serious looking after, with its 50-seater cinema, full-service health club and spa, three helipads and nine elevators. Luckily the staff of 600 are on hand to take care of everything (Picture: Getty Images) An obvious one, of course, but Buckingham Palace in London remains the world's most expensive property, with its luxurious state rooms, neoclassical decor and the world famous balcony which has taken centre stage during royal weddings, coronations and jubilees. Bucky Pal has 775 rooms in total which include (deep breath) 52 royal and guest bedrooms, 188 staff bedrooms, 92 offices and 78 bathrooms. You can't buy it but if it were for sale you could expect an asking price of around $4.9 billion (£3.9 billion) (Picture: Getty Images) This article was originally published in April 2024
