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Where does The Royal Family reside? Here’s all you need to know about the British Monarchy’s Estates
Have you ever wondered where does the Royal Family actually live? From Buckingham Palace to Windsor Castle, we curated a list for you. Here’s a complete guide to the British Monarchy’s Estates.
On May 6th, 2023, the coronation ceremony of His Majesty, King Charles III took place at Westminster Abbey, London, by the Archbishop of Canterbury. King Charles III was crowned alongside The Queen Consort Camilla aka Camilla Parker Bowles, The lavish coronation reflected the monarch’s role after the death of his mother Queen Elizabeth II. While the details of the coronation were everywhere, what happened after the coronation? Most importantly where does the King live? Also, how many estates does the royal family hold? Not just that, we are here to answer all your questions about the British Monarchy’s Estates.
Right from answers to questions like, who lives at Buckingham Palace to the clarity on who moved into Harry and Meghan's house after they left, scroll on for everything you must know about the royals' residences aka the British Monarchy estate.
Buckingham Palace to Windsor Castle: All About British Monarchy’s Estates
1. Buckingham Palace
Place of establishment: London
Royal residence: Currently, no royal resides there; formerly, Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip
The mighty Buckingham Palace has been the official royal residence in London since 1837. Today, the palace serves as the administrative headquarters along with the venue for various royal events and receptions. The palace has 775 rooms which include, 19 Staterooms, 52 Royal and guest bedrooms, 188 staff bedrooms, 92 offices, and 78 bathrooms. Out of these rooms, only the State Rooms of Buckingham Palace are open to visitors during the summer. The last royal to reside at the Palace was Queen Elizabeth II however she moved to Windsor Castle during the pandemic. Although King Charles III, was born in Buckingham, he has no immediate plans to reside there. 
2. Clarence House
Place of establishment: London
Royal residence: King Charles III and Queen Consort Camilla
Instead of Buckingham Palace the royal family actually resides at the Clarence House. Although the royal estate is not as talked about as Buckingham Palace, here is where you are most likely to find King Charles III and Queen Consort Camilla. The royal couple moved to the Clarence House in August 2003. Clarence House is also famous for being the former residence of Queen Elizabeth II. This Royal estate is also open to the public during the summer for a guided tour of a few selected rooms.
3. Windsor Castle
Place of establishment: Windsor, Berkshire
Royal residence: Currently, no royal resides there; formerly, Queen Elizabeth II.
Windsor Castle is the royal residence that accommodated Queen Elizabeth II during her conclusive years which also includes the severe COVID lockdowns. The 484,000 square feet of Windsor Castle holds a total of 1,000 rooms which was intended to be a royal venue for celebrations instead of actually residing. The castle was the venue for Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's wedding in 2018. In fact, Windsor’s St. George Chapel at the castle is the burial ground for Queen Elizabeth II, her husband Prince Philip, and several other senior royals.
4. Balmoral Castle
Place of establishment: Aberdeenshire, Scotland
Royal residence: Currently, no royal resides there. It was considered Queen Elizabeth II’s former summer residence. Queen Elizabeth II always cherished her visits to Scotland and in fact, the late majesty visited Scotland every summer and enjoyed her stay at the Balmoral Castle. Her itinerary included picnics, horse riding, and a number of fun activities with her family. Historically, in 1852, Prince Albert gifted Balmoral Castle to his wife, Queen Victoria.
5. Highgrove House
Place of establishment: Gloucestershire, in southwest England
Royal residence: King Charles III and Queen Consort Camilla (when on holiday)
Another royal residence that serves as a vacation house for King Charles III and Queen Consort Camilla is the Highgrove House. The royal estate belongs to King Charles’s son Prince William. The royal estate in England has nine magnificent bedrooms, four reception rooms, and a huge nursery wing that is extended over three floors. The house has splendid surroundings which is actually the main attraction of the house.
6. Sandringham House
Place of establishment: Norfolk, in eastern England
Royal residence: King Charles III and Queen Consort Camilla (when on vacation)
Sandringham is another royal estate that serves as King Charles III and Queen Consort Camilla’s country mansion. The estate is merely three-hour away from London and has been one of the British belongings since 1862. The house is an inheritance from Queen Elizabeth II to King Charles III. In January 2020, the house was in the limelight when the senior royals assembled for the “Sandringham Summit,” which included the royal meetings on Harry and Meghan’s decision part from the royal family.
7. Adelaide Cottage
Place of establishment: Windsor, Berkshire
Royal residence: Prince William, Princess Kate, along with their children
Well, the royal family is so much bigger than just King Charles and Queen Consort Camilla. So where do the Prince and Princess of Wales live? The royal pair along with their children Prince George, Princess Charlotte, and Prince Louis currently reside in Adelaide Cottage.
8. Kensington Palace Southern Facade, London, England
Place of establishment: London
Royal residence: Prince William, and Princess Kate, along with their children (when in London)
Apart from the Adelaide Cottage, the newly named Prince and Princess of Wales also have other royal residences which include Apartment 1 inside Kensington Palace. The palace has 20 rooms along with a huge walled grassland for extra privacy. In 2013, the palace underwent extensive renovations that cost around $5.5 million. Moreover, Kate and William were the first ever royals to introduce an additional kitchen more suited for their private needs apart from the professional team of chefs.
9. Anmer Hall
Place of establishment: Sandringham, Norfolk
Royal residence: Prince William, Princess Kate, and their children (during holidays)
When it comes to holiday homes Prince William, Princess Kate, and their children visit the Anmer Hall in Sandringham, Norfolk during the school holidays. The estate located is at the Sandringham estate in Norfolk. It was a generous wedding gift to the royal couple by Queen Elizabeth II in 2011. Built in 1802 the house is reported to have 10 bedrooms, a swimming pool along with a private tennis court.
10. Frogmore Cottage
Place of establishment: Windsor, Berkshire
Royal residence: Currently, no royal resides there; formerly, Prince Harry and Duchess Meghan
Before stepping down from their roles as senior members of the royal family, Prince Harry, and Duchess Meghan resided at the Frogmore Cottage in Windsor, Berkshire. Currently, no royal resides at the 10-bedroom royal abode. Historically, the crown-owned estate was built in 1801, for Queen Charlotte, wife of King George III, which was later given away as a wedding gift to Prince Harry and Meghan Markle by the Queen in 2018.
11. Royal Lodge
Place of establishment: Windsor, Berkshire
Royal residence: Prince Andrew and Sarah Ferguson, Duchess of York
The Royal Lodge at Windsor, Berkshire is another estate owned by the crown where Prince Andrew and Sarah Ferguson, Duchess of York reside since 2004. This Windsor home was Formerly resided by the Queen Mother. The Royal Lodge is a magnificent royal estate with 30 rooms, an enormous formal room along with a saloon. The Royal Lodge was the venue for Princess Eugenie’s wedding.
12. Bagshot Park
Place of establishment: Windsor, Berkshire
Royal residence: The Duke of Edinburgh, Prince Edward, Sophie Wessex, and their two children
The Bagshot Park is another crown-owned estate that belongs to Queen Elizabeth II’s youngest son, Prince Edward, The Duke of Edinburgh along with his wife Sophie Wessex, and their two children. The royal couple has been living in the royal estate since 1999. It is reported that at first Prince Edward rented the mansion from the crown but now the lease of the estate is extended for 150 years which means they can pass on the property to their children Louise Mountbatten-Windsor and James Mountbatten-Windsor.
13. Gatcombe Park
Place of establishment: Gloucestershire, in Southwest England
Royal residence: Princess Anne and Zara and Mike Tindall
Gatcombe Park is a royal establishment in Gloucestershire, in Southwest England currently resided by Princess Anne, Zara Tindall, and Mike Tindall along with their kids Mia and Lena. While it is not as talked about as Buckingham Palace, it was bought by Queen Elizabeth II in 1976 for her daughter, Anne as a wedding present.
14. St. James’s Palace
Place of establishment: London
Royal residence: Princess Anne (when in London)
When Princess Anne visits London she stays at the St. James’s Palace. The crown-owned estate was the main residence of Britain’s royals for centuries before 1837 when Queen Victoria first moved her residence to Buckingham Palace in 1837.
15. Nottingham Cottage
Place of establishment: Kensington Palace, London
Royal residence: Princess Eugenie and Jack Brooksbank
Nottingham Cottage is another less talked about crown-owned property in London where Princess Eugenie currently resides along with her husband, Jack Brooksbank, and their son, August. The cottage is on Kensington Palace’s grounds and is also called Nott Cott. The two-bedroom adorable royal home was bought in back 1689 by King William III and Queen Mary.
The above-listed British Monarchy’s Estates are some of the oldest and most magnificent royal estates in the UK. While some of them are open to visitors, others are actually abodes to the royal family. Whether it is Buckingham Palace or the Clarence House, these crown-owned estates are recognized all across the world as the testimony of royal history.
ALSO READ: King Charles’ Coronation at Buckingham Palace: Complete list of royals who will make an appearance
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