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<\/p>\nA decaying castle in Germany that was once owned by the Royal Family has been abandoned by its Russian owners.<\/p>\n
According to the Sun, the once-great palace is now staring down the barrel of a staggering \u00a324.5 million restoration project. Labelled \u201cRapunzel Castle\u201d, the building has links with King Charles III and is rumoured to be one of the first meeting places of his great, great, great grandparents Prince Albert and Queen Victoria. <\/p>\n
Bought in 2008 for \u00a39.8 million by a Russian investment consortium named Rusintech, the palace was left to rot away and was trashed and looted. The purchase was believed to be related to a suspected money laundering fiasco, according to the state.<\/p>\n
READ MORE: Antiques Roadshow makes history as Queen Victoria's old knickers get whopping valuation<\/b><\/p>\n
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Reinhardsbrunn Abbey was built in 1085 and sits in the little town of Friedrichroda, part of the State of Thuringia in East Germany. The abbey is drenched in history and was even reportedly an eerie burial site for the super rich during the fifteenth century.<\/p>\n
After years of being a religious building, the abbey was bought and restored in 1706 under Duke Friedrich Wilhelm I\u2019s family name.<\/p>\n
In the mid-19th century, it was transformed into a Neo-Gothic castle by Duke Ernest I of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, who used it as his English-style summer house. Duke Ernest was the father of Queen Victoria I\u2019s husband Prince Albert, who enjoyed using the spot as a holiday destination.<\/p>\n
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The site earned the nickname Rapunzel\u2019s Castle because of the elegant bell tower and tall spire. However, nowadays the old romantic hideaway for the royals has been left a derelict mess by its Russian owners.<\/p>\n
When it was discovered in disrepair after its Soviet purchase, local state officials had to perform urgent repairs to the palace. In July 2018, they repossessed the palace to ensure its safety, making even more history as the first of its kind in the Federal Republic to legally get back a property for negligence.<\/p>\n
It is estimated now that the building needs up to \u00a335 million in investments to ensure that it is safe and practical in the modern world.<\/p>\n
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