Royal Couples Who Have Unique Sleeping Arrangements

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A couple's sleeping arrangements are no one's business, but trust the public to make it their business when said couple is rich, famous, and royal. Given their many fans across the globe, the British royal family has come under intense scrutiny for their sleeping arrangements on more than one occasion. Of course, given their propensity for refraining from commenting on private matters, the scuttlebutt has hardly been confirmed in most cases. Still, the gossip persists, but some say unique sleeping arrangements are not a cause for concern in a marriage. In fact, those familiar with the customs of upper class citizens clarify that it's actually pretty normal. 

"The upper class always have had separate bedrooms," Prince Philip's cousin, Lady Pamela Hicks, explained in a 2012 interview, per MyLondon. "You don't want to be bothered with snoring or someone flinging a leg around. Then when you are feeling cozy you share your room sometimes. It's lovely to be able to choose." Certainly, most couples can relate to the downsides of sharing a bed, and when you live in a mansion — or a palace, for that matter — why not make good use of the extra rooms? 

"It's a matter of convenience, if you can afford it," entrepreneur Eric Borukhin told Vanity Fair in 2017, adding that within his circle of friends, "Everybody accepts it as a normal thing." But the general public decidedly does not, despite a 2015 report from the National Sleep Foundation indicating that one in four couples don't share a bed. Well, as it turns out, many of the British royals are those couples. 

Word on the street is that Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip had some major problems in their marriage, but they still stuck it out for 73 years. During that time, they notably did not sleep in the same bed or even in the same room. This little tidbit made headlines as viewers across the globe feasted on Netflix's "The Crown." While the show dramatized real events, it did not exaggerate when it portrayed the queen and her longtime partner sleeping in separate quarters. Their bedrooms were connected, however. The royal couple were arguably a testimony to the fact that couples don't necessarily need to share sleeping quarters to stick together. 

Philip famously admitted on their 50th wedding anniversary that learning to tolerate your spouse is key to keeping your marriage intact. "I think the main lesson that we have learnt is that tolerance is the one essential ingredient of any happy marriage. It may not be quite so important when things are going well, but it is absolutely vital when the going gets difficult," he said, per BBC News. "You can take it from me that the queen has the quality of tolerance in abundance." Tolerating your partner during challenging times is probably a lot easier when you get some space from them during the night. It seems Her Majesty and Philip were on to something. 

King Charles III has seemingly followed in his late parents' footsteps when it comes to unique sleeping arrangements. Aside from reportedly not always sharing a bedroom, the king and his wife, Queen Camilla, apparently reside in completely different homes on a regular basis. "Before Charles and Camilla got married, they agreed Camilla would keep her home," Jack Stooks, who used to work as a senior gardener at the king's Highgrove House residence, confirmed to Metro (via Reader's Digest). "The separate space was important for them both and their families. [...] They're both independent people and don't mind time apart." British broadcaster and photographer Helena Chard reiterated this point, reassuring Fox News Digital that Charles and Camilla don't have separation anxiety, since they both enjoy spending time on their respective interests.

Reports indicate that the couple tends to spend their weekdays together, with most weekends reserved for solo time. According to Chard, Charles and Camilla have separate bedrooms at Clarence House alongside a third room that they share. It makes sense that they would prefer to sleep in separate beds, given that they're both quite finicky about their sleeping arrangements. The king reportedly carts along a bed frame and linens of his choice when he travels, while Camilla packs her own orthopedic mattress. Then there are also the reports that Charles likes a room to be chilly, while his wife prefers it warm, as noted by Camilla's sister, Annabel Elliot, who discussed their unusual bedroom preferences in "Charles III: New King. New Court. The Inside Story."

There have been plenty of rumblings about Prince William and Kate Middleton's marriage over the years, including claims that they don't share a bedroom. Whether or not this was ever actually true remains a mystery. William seemingly debunked the rumors in 2024, while revealing another unusual sleeping arrangement in their place. The Prince of Wales was visiting Duchy College Stoke Climsland at the time, where he approached royal fan Louise Harland to compliment her on her dog. Harland later told Hits Radio Cornwall that the future king not only revealed that he and Catherine do share a bed, but that they frequently share it with their dog, Orla, too. "[William] said that his little dog sleeps on the bed with them at night, with him and Kate," Harland dished, per Hello! magazine.

Chatter about the royals' supposed sleeping arrangements grew increasingly louder while they were still living at Kensington Palace. A closer look at the residence's floor plan detailed that, instead of the master bedroom being located upstairs, as is usually the custom, Princess Catherine and William's bedroom was on the ground floor. With 20 rooms at their disposal, however, the couple had their pick of where to spend their nights.

Sketchy rumors about Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's relationship continue to proliferate, but one in particular has raised eyebrows. In February 2025, Radar Online reported that the royal defectors were "sleeping apart." Several insiders alleged that Meghan was spending many of her nights away from Harry as she focused on her Netflix lifestyle show, and the prince was doing the same as he pursued his own business ventures. It's hardly new for a married couple to spend time apart as they each carve out their respective careers, but the Duke and Duchess of Sussex have been the subject of divorce rumors for years, and this scuttlebutt really didn't help matters.

Harry dismissed the gossip about his marriage's impending doom as utter nonsense at the 2024 New York Times DealBook Summit when he was asked about the swirling speculation pertaining to him and Meghan frequently spending time apart. "Apparently we've bought or moved house 10, 12 times. We've apparently divorced maybe 10, 12 times as well. So it's just like, what?" Harry joked, per People. "It's hard to keep up with, but that's why you just sort of ignore it. The people I feel most sorry about are the trolls. Their hopes are just built and built, and it's like, 'Yes, yes, yes, yes, yes,' and then it doesn't happen." 

As he reasoned, "I feel sorry for them. Genuinely, I do." The Sussexes might spend many of their nights apart, but if the prince is to be believed, it's not affecting their relationship negatively at all. If anything, it might be the reason the two royals are still sticking it out after years of constant scrutiny and bad press.