A private box at the Royal Albert Hall, previously owned by Earl Spencer and also the Duke of Devonshire, has been put up for sale by the Royal Albert Hall in Kensington. The asking price? £550,000. London theatre boxes are more expensive than you thought!

The box, located on the second tier of the Theatre seating five people, still has a staggering 865 years remaining on the lease. The building was constructed in the 19th century and opened in 1871. At the time several seats were offered for sale to private individuals on a 999 year lease. Among the buyers was Queen Victoria who bought 20 of the 1,300 privately owned seats for £100 each, in addition to the Queen's Box.

The box, which is up for grabs, still has the original timber veneer and mirrored panels. Shirley Humphrey, sales and marketing director for Harrods Estates, said: "The boxes at the Royal Albert Hall are extremely rare, and those with original features are even rarer, so we anticipate to receive a high level of interest." She also said they had sold other private boxes at the Royal Albert Hall in the past, including the 10 seater Grand Tier Box, for £1.2m in 2008.

London theatre boxes like those at The Lion King and Mamma Mia tend not even to have the best view if of the stage, after all, most of what you see is from the side. But each to their own. And if you've got the money - why not go for it!

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• Features