Buckingham Palace
The most well-known and visited of all the royal properties, Buckingham Palace has remained the official London residence of the United Kingdom’s monarchs since 1837. Designed in a Neoclassical style, the palace has a total of 775 rooms, including 188 staff bedrooms, 92 offices, 78 bathrooms, 52 royal and guest bedrooms, and 19 state rooms.
St. James’s Palace
The London palace was the former residence of the monarchs of England until the reign of Queen Victoria. St. James’s Palace holds an important role in the monarchy as it is the place where the Garter King of Arms formally announces the accession of the new king or queen from the palace’s Proclamation Gallery after the death of a monarch. It’s also the London residence of Princess Anne, Princess Beatrice, and Princess Alexandra. The palace even hosts charity receptions associated with members of the royal family.
Clarence House
King Charles III and Queen Consort Camilla Parker Bowles most famously resided in the crown-owned official London residence before his accession. Built in 1825 and 1827, Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip lived in the townhouse after their marriage in 1947. It was also the London home of the Queen Mother from 1953 until 2002. Prince William and Prince Harry also lived here until moving into their own private residences at Kensington Palace in 2011 and 2012, respectively.
Kensington Palace
The birthplace and childhood home of Queen Victoria, the 547-room palace is the London home and office to a number of royals, including the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge. Since the middle of 2017, Apartment 1A was the main residence for Prince William and Princess Kate Middleton and their family, which has four floors and 20 rooms. Kensington Palace was also the former home of Princess Diana as well as Prince Harry and Meghan Markle. However, in 2022, William and Kate moved to Adelaide Cottage in Windsor full time.
Ivy Cottage, Wren House, and Nottingham Cottage
These smaller properties on the grounds of Kensington Palace have been popular homes in the Royal Family for years. Nottingham Cottage was the former home of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle before they moved into Frogmore Cottage. Prince William and Catherine Middleton also resided in the cottage before moving into Apartment 1A. Ivy Cottage is currently the first home of Princess Eugenie and her husband, Jack Brooksbank. Prince Edward, the Duke of Kent, lives at Wren House with his wife, Katherine Worsley.
Windsor Castle
For over 900 years, the crown-owned Windsor Castle has acted as both a private home and an official royal residence for the United Kingdom’s monarchs. Inside the property is the famous St. George’s Chapel, the location where Prince Harry and Meghan Markle married in May 2018 and Princess Eugenie and Jack Brooksbanks married in October 2018. Queen Elizabeth would spend weekends at Windsor Castle away from the bustle of London. The queen also stayed at the castle for a month over Easter during a period known as Easter Court.
Fort Belvedere
A part of the Windsor Estate, Fort Belvedere was built in the Gothic Revival style by English architect Jeffry Wyatville in the 1820s. Most famously, the manor house served as the royal residence for Edward VIII, the Duke of Windsor, between 1929 and 1936. During his stay, the then-Prince renovated many of the rooms to include more contemporary details and added horse stables, a swimming pool, and tennis courts. It was there that Edward signed his written abdication notice, stripping him from his royal title and his home. A few others have lived in the manor house, but recently, rumors have started that the forgotten castle may become the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge’s official new home.
Balmoral Castle
Located in Aberdeenshire, Scotland, Balmoral Castle served as Queen Elizabeth’s summer home and sits on 50,000 acres with 150 buildings. Queen Victoria and Prince Albert originally purchased the castle in 1852, and it’s remained one of the royal family’s favorite vacation spots.
Birkhall
A part of the Balmoral Castle estate, Birkhall was bought by Queen Victoria for her son Edward, Prince of Wales, in 1849. The former home of the Queen Mother, King Charles often stayed at the home when visiting Scotland.
Craigowan Lodge
Technically on the grounds of the Balmoral estate, Craigowan Lodge is a more rustic stone cottage about a mile from the main castle. Then-Prince Charles and Princess Diana would often opt to stay in the seven-bedroom house during their visits to the Scottish countryside.
Sandringham House
This 19,000-acre estate is a private residence of the royal family near Norfolk, England. Queen Elizabeth inherited the property from her family in 1952, with Prince Philip taking charge of the home’s management and upkeep. The Royal Family usually celebrates Christmas at Sandringham House and attends religious services at the Church of St. Mary Magdalene, which is located on the grounds.
The Castle of Mey
As depicted in the first season of The Crown, The Queen Mother purchased deteriorating Barrogill Castle in 1952 after seeing it on her visit with Commander and Lady Doris Vyner. After extensive renovations of the castle and gardens in 1955, Her Majesty made the decision to restore the structure’s original name, The Castle of Mey. Today, the property is under the stewardship of The Prince’s Foundation, which recently opened The Granary Lodge Bed & Breakfast on the grounds.
Hampton Court Palace
The former seat of the Tudor dynasty dates back to 1514 when Cardinal Thomas Wolsey, King Henry VIII’s Lord Chancellor, started laying the foundation for a marvelous palace in London. It was so grand that the King eventually took the Hampton Court Palace for himself and added a hotel, theatre, and leisure complex to the grounds. Later, when King William III and Queen Mary II took the throne, the royal couple appointed Sir Christopher Wren to expand the palace and landscape architect Capability Brown to tend to the gardens. The palace and its grounds were opened to the public as a museum in 1838 by Queen Victoria and have operated under the Crown since.
The Old Royal Palace of Hatfield
The original structure on the grounds of the Hollywood-famous Hatfield House, the Royal Palace of Hatfield was the childhood home and favorite residence of Queen Elizabeth I. After the accession of King James I to the throne, he decided to give the palace to Elizabeth’s chief minister, Robert Cecil, 1st Earl of Salisbury, who built the breathtaking Jacobean home that is now on the property. Only parts of the original palace still remain on the grounds.
Barnwell Manor
In 1540, King Henry VII gifted Barnwell Manor to the Montagu family for being loyal supporters of the Crown. It remained with the Montagus until the early 1900s when a series of tenants stayed at the Elizabethan manor house in Northamptonshire for short periods. It would come back into the ownership of the royal family in 1938 when Prince Henry, Duke of Gloucester, bought the estate. While the Gloucesters no longer live at the 30-bedroom home, they have leased it out to Windsor House Antiques.
Dumfries House
The Dumfries House dates back to 1754, when William Crichton-Dalrymple sketched out plans for a Palladian-style home with lavish interiors filled with colorful and handcrafted Chippendale furniture. Regarded as one of the most significant properties within the Commonwealth, shockwaves ran through Great Britain when news hit it was in the verge of sale, propelling then-Prince Charles and one of his foundations to raise funds to save the Dumfries. Today, the stately home is open for people to explore its original 18th-century furnishings and incredible interiors.
Thatched House Lodge
Originally built for the garden keepers of Richmond Park, the Thatched House Lodge served as a grace-and-favor residence for the royal household until 1927. High political figures such Wing Commander Sir Louis Greig and even President Dwight D. Eisenhower stayed in the home in the following years but, eventually, it would become the permanent residence of Sir Angus Ogilvy and Princess Alexandra in 1963. Alexandra, Queen Elizabeth’s cousin, lives quietly within the six-bedroom home and often spends her time tending to the horses in the property’s stables.
Frogmore House
Famously known as the location of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s evening wedding reception, Frogmore House has been a Crown-owned official residence in Home Park since 1792. The estate was originally bought by George III as a gift for his wife, Queen Charlotte, and has remained in the Royal Family ever since. While the house has been unoccupied since 1872, the Royal Family often hosts private and official events at the residence.
Frogmore Cottage
The former home of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, Frogmore Cottage shares the same grounds as Frogmore House. The cottage was built in 1801 under the direction of Queen Charlotte. The home is only a half mile away from Windsor Castle, where Prince Harry and Meghan Markle were married.
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s Santa Barbara Home
In 2020, Prince Harry, Meghan Markle, and baby Archie settled into their new sprawling estate in Santa Barbara’s garden-loving community of Montecito. While the couple has preferred to stay private about the outside appearance of their new home, they have given us sneak peeks at the home’s interiors through virtual events such as the talk Meghan did for The 19th Represents Summit.
Sarah DiMarco (she/her) is the associate editor at VERANDA, covering all things design, architecture, art, gardens, jewelry, travel, wine and spirits. She also manages social media for the brand.
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