England Royal Apartments

Flats or apartments? It depends where you are. They are called apartments in Canada and the U.S., flats in the United Kingdom and all countries in the former British Empire.

Flats have a royal connection. Once upon a time the upper class owned castles in the country and townhouses in London and other cities where lords, ladies, dukes and duchesses enjoyed the summer, which they called ‘the season.’ Activities included ‘coming out’ the announcement that girls were ready to be taken as wives.

Times changed and some members of this royal class became bankrupt. Earls that escaped bankruptcy opened up their castles to the public, for a fee. Bankrupt dukes and earls lost townhouses. Investors snapped them up and re-engineered them into ‘flats.’

Flats? Example, Buckingham Palace. It’s a whole house, with different floors with wings. If it were converted into an apartment building, maybe 20 people with live in little ‘flat’ spaces. Castles and townhouses were not flat. They were round, wide and high. They had outbuildings like stables and servants’ quarters. 

You have probably noticed that 3 or 4-storey apartment buildings in London England have names such as: Canterbury House, Surrey House, Lancaster Gate etc. Most of them are original townhouses of bankrupt aristocrats that were turned into ‘flats’ but the name remained.

They even have funny descriptions like ‘bachelor’ flats. They are not for bachelors only. It’s the size. They’re very small. Investors that bought and re-engineered townhouses used every space available. Maybe bachelor flats used to be cloakrooms.  

Who rented these flats? Factory workers, former maids and men who used to look after horses and dogs in castles and townhouses.

By: Nonqaba waka Msimang.