Royal Residences: Where The Royals Are Currently Living
For centuries, the British royal family has had an impressive property portfolio. From sprawling estates in Scotland to London's famous Buckingham Palace, King Charles III and the rest of the firm certainly don't lack options. With so many castles, stately homes, and palaces at their disposal, how does the crown estate divvy up the property between the family?
It's not unusual for different branches of the royals to move around throughout the years, especially as their family grows. For example, Prince William and Princess Catherine have lived in several houses and apartments since tying the knot in 2011. Now that he's king, Charles has also upped sticks and moved to a new residence alongside Camilla, Queen Consort. However, some other family members have stuck firmly with one abode for decades, proving that sometimes, one grand estate is enough for life. Some also opt to split their time between locations. Queen Elizabeth II used Buckingham Palace as her official residence, but often spent time at her beloved Balmoral and Sandringham, taking walks and driving her favorite Land Rover cars alongside Prince Philip. It can be tricky to keep tabs on which Windsor lives where, so let's take a look at the state of the nation and see where the royals currently lay their crowns.
King Charles III and Camilla, Queen Consort's new home
It's no secret that King Charles III isn't exactly a young man. Unlike his mother who became queen at a very young age, Charles has lived a full life as the Prince of Wales. As such, he has lived in multiple royal residences over the years, but his most permanent and long-standing abode was Clarence House. Charles first moved into the London property alongside Camilla, Queen Consort in 2003, spending the next two decades there ... but things are set to change. In order to take up his new position and duties, Charles is required to make Buckingham Palace his official residence, just like his mother before him.
The infamous palace is the most well-known property belonging to the crown estate and is frequently surrounded by tourists taking pictures at the gates. While the exterior is famous, what does the inside hold? The sprawling palace has a whopping 775 rooms, which include offices and staff quarters. Currently, it's undertaking a mammoth renovation which is likely to cost around £369 million, per the Mirror. The entire process will take a considerable amount of time, meaning that Charles and Camilla won't call it their permanent home for a few years. Until then, the monarchs will stay put at Clarence House. Considering how long they've lived there, it's likely they will be very comfortable until the time comes for them to pack their cases.
Princess Catherine and Prince William's Windsor retreat
Prince William and Princess Catherine have been together for many years, cementing their union with one of the world's biggest weddings in 2011. Since then, William and Catherine have welcomed three children, Prince George, Princess Charlotte, and Prince Louis. As a result of their growing family, William and Catherine have moved more than once. They started out in a cottage in Anglesey, before hopping across to Anmer Hall, a stately Georgian Country House in Norfolk. While both are gorgeous places to live, Apartment 1A at Kensington Palace became the family's permanent residence in 2017. But where do the future king and queen live now?
In 2022, news broke that William, Catherine, George, Charlotte, and Louis would be moving into a new property situated on the Windsor Home Park estate. Adelaide Cottage is a historical home built in 1831, and with sprawling grounds, there is plenty of room for the children to play, and perhaps most importantly, plenty of privacy. Royal watchers even got a glimpse inside the house when William attended a video call with flood victims in Australia in 2023 (via Hello!).
The future monarch likely had his pick of different properties but decided on this one for reasons unknown. Needless to say, William and Catherine still have the option to stay at any one of the numerous other royal homes as and when they see fit.
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's ever-changing address
When Prince Harry married Meghan Markle, the British public was keen to know where the two would live. Would they be given an apartment at Buckingham Palace or a set of rooms at Kensington? As it turned out, Meghan and Harry's first marital home was Frogmore Cottage in Windsor. Although it might be a quaint name, the residence is actually a 10-bedroom mini-mansion. The couple famously spent over $3 million of tax payer's money renovating the property, which they eventually paid back when they stepped down as senior royals and left Britain.
Since saying goodbye to Blighty, Meghan and Harry's living situation has been more than varied. They first headed to Canada with the queen's permission, taking their son, Prince Archie, to enjoy the Great White North. Unfortunately, they didn't find the kind of peace and quiet they were looking for there and hauled their cookies to America, where they bounced around friends' houses before buying their own $14.65 million estate in Montecito, California. The home reportedly has a library, a game room, and plenty of outside space for Archie and his sister, Princess Lilibet, to play. In 2020, a spokesperson for the Sussexes told People that the couple hoped for privacy in their new town. "They have settled into the quiet privacy of their community since their arrival and hope that this will be respected for their neighbors, as well as for them as a family," the rep said.
Princess Anne's idyllic country estate
As Queen Elizabeth II's only daughter, Princess Anne was often by her mother's side throughout the monarch's reign. Anne's presence is frequently requested at official engagements, and she was reportedly the busiest member of the firm in 2017. Given her hectic schedule, it's hardly surprising that Anne enjoys her downtime away from the hustle and bustle of cities. She has called Gatcombe Park in Gloucestershire home for almost 50 years.
Unlike some of the other homes in the crown estate, this particular building was acquired by the monarchy fairly recently. Queen Elizabeth II bought the home from a politician back in 1976, gifting it to her daughter and her then-husband, Captain Mark Phillips, a short time later. While the marriage wouldn't last, Anne's love affair with her home has endured. Anne has lived there with her second husband, Vice Admiral Timothy Laurence, since 1992.
Maintaining a 730-acre estate doesn't come easy, though. In 2014 when talking in the BBC series "Countryfile" (via Dailymotion), Anne explained: "Being able to take on a place like this, for me, I've got to make it work." She went on to explain that the estate "has got to pay its way, otherwise, I can't stay here." As for the house itself, it contains nine main bedrooms, a billiard room, and an expansive conservatory.
Zara and Mike Tindall's unusual living situation
As far as royals go, Princess Anne's daughter, Zara, and her husband Mike Tindall are relatively normal. Although she is a royal by birth, Zara doesn't have a royal title. As a result, she has had more freedom than some of the other royal grandchildren. Mike Tindall, a former rugby player for England, even appeared in the 2022 season of the popular reality series "I'm a Celebrity...Get Me Out of Here," something that other members of the royal family would never be permitted to do.
So, where do these modest royals call home? Well, when the couple announced their engagement in 2010, it was outside their Cheltenham villa. The property was worth £1.2 million when they offloaded it in 2013, per Hello!, but why did they leave the beautiful Grade II townhouse in the first place?
It's hard to imagine a reason for it, considering it boasts 5,000 square feet ... until you realize where they ended up. Zara, Mike, and their three children currently live at a property on Gatcombe Park, Princess Anne's estate. Zara actually grew up there and currently trains her racehorses there, so it makes perfect sense. Considering just how large Gatcombe Park is, it's unlikely living with the in-laws is too much of an issue for Mike. It also has the added benefit of allowing the children to make the most of the sprawling outdoor space, something both their mother and grandmother have always treasured.
Prince Andrew's royal lodge
It isn't very often that ex-spouses manage to live under the same roof. There's nearly always far too much animosity for that to work. After all, the split happened for a reason. It's even more unusual to stay in the same home if you're a royal, but the set-up works well for Prince Andrew and Sarah, Duchess of York. The pair live at Royal Lodge in Windsor, an estate worth a whopping £30 million. Although the couple wed in 1986, they weren't gifted the property by Queen Elizabeth II until The Queen Mother's death in 2002.
It's every inch as grand as you may expect and has previously hosted the wedding receptions for both of the couple's daughters, Princess Eugenie and Princess Beatrice. There's also plenty of outside space for the family to enjoy as the house is nestled on 21 acres of land. After Queen Elizabeth's death in 2022, Andrew and Sarah welcomed two new additions to the household. Two of Her Majesty's beloved corgi dogs, Sandy and Muick, were adopted by the Yorks. The Royal Lodge is an upgrade for the famous exes, who lived at Sunninghill Park in Ascot when they were newlyweds. Their initial property was torn down in 2016 after it was sold, per Express.
Princess Eugenie's quaint cottage
Kensington Palace is home to many royals, including Princess Eugenie's family. As one of Queen Elizabeth II's grandchildren, Eugenie is no stranger to grand properties. Things started to change slightly for the princess, though, after she married Jack Brooksbank. When Prince Harry and Meghan Markle left Frogmore Cottage in 2020, Eugenie and Jack moved in before welcoming their first child in 2021. The family enjoyed the cottage but moved out in 2022, instead taking up residence at another royal property, Nottingham Cottage.
Some royal homes have upward of 10 bedrooms, but Nottingham Cottage is much smaller in comparison. The two-bedroom property is still at Kensington Palace and was actually where Prince Harry was living when he popped the question to Meghan in 2017. We know more about "Nott Cott" than most other royal dwellings thanks to the Sussexes, who described it in their infamous Netflix documentary, "Harry & Meghan" (via House & Garden). "[The cottage] is on a slight lean with really low ceilings ... he would just hit his head constantly in [Nott Cott] because he's so tall ... I don't know who [the cottage] was for. They must have been short." Regardless of its modest size, Eugenie and her husband seem to be more than satisfied with it, although it's likely they will have to move once they welcome their second child in the summer of 2023.
Princess Beatrice's Cotswolds Manor
Just like her sister Eugenie, Princess Beatrice has taste. She grew up at Royal Lodge alongside her parents and hasn't downgraded much over the years. In 2020, she married Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi, a British businessman from an Italian noble family. The couple went on to live at St. James' Palace in Westminster in a four-bedroom apartment with their child, Sienna. Like most royal couples though, this wasn't destined to be their permanent family home, and according to The Sun, the pair began to look at moving to a new property in 2022.
The tabloid reported that the couple purchased a farmhouse in the Cotswolds, a scenic area in the South West of England that is popular among high society. The home reportedly has six bedrooms and is worth over £3 million, which is a drop in the ocean compared to what some other royal homes are valued at. Nevertheless, it can get you a sizable chunk of property in the area. Not much else is known about Beatrice's homestead, but The Sun also reported that the princess is taking no chance with security and is installing high fences to protect her young family from prying eyes. When you're a prominent member of the firm, no measure is too little.
Prince Edward and Sophie, Duchess of Edinburgh's jaw-dropping mansion
Out of all of Queen Elizabeth II's children, Prince Edward manages to stay out of the limelight the most. He married his wife, Sophie, Duchess of Edinburgh in 1999 and the couple has lived relatively quietly since then. They enjoy their time at their stunning 120-room mansion, Bagshot Park in Surrey, with their children, James, Earl of Wessex and Lady Louise. Bagshot Park isn't just a bog-standard mansion given to the nouveau riche. It's a legacy that requires significant upkeep. The original set of buildings was designed for King Charles I in the 17th century but was later torn down in 1877 and replaced by the home that stands there today. Judging by snippets seen in interviews (via Hello!), the home is full of antique woodwork and detailing, which can't be easy to maintain.
As you might expect considering how grand the house itself is, the grounds are expansive, spanning 51 acres. What's more, even though Bagshot Park isn't on one of the other royal estates like some other properties, it's close enough to Windsor that Edward and Sophie were able to frequently visit Queen Elizabeth II before her death, and is still a stone's throw away from other family members such as Prince William and Princess Catherine.