by Scott Mehl © Unofficial Royalty 2012
St. James’s Palace
London
Although no longer used as a residence of the Sovereign, St. James’s Palace is the senior and official palace of the British Monarchy. Used primarily for official functions and office space, it also contains the London residences of The Princess Royal and Princess Alexandra, The Hon. Lady Ogilvy.
Click HERE for our in-depth article about St. James’s Palace and York House!
Buckingham Palace
London
Perhaps one of the most recognized buildings in the world, Buckingham Palace is the official London residence of The Sovereign, as well as the offices of the Monarchy. The Palace also contains the official London residences and offices of The Duke of York and The Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh, as well as the offices of The Princess Royal and Princess Alexandra, The Hon. Lady Ogilvy.
Click HERE for our in-depth article about Buckingham Palace!
Windsor Castle
Windsor
Windsor Castle is another of The Sovereign’s official residences, and where the late Queen Elizabeth II spent most weekends. Originally built as a fortress by William the Conqueror, the Castle is considered the largest inhabited castle in the world, and the oldest continually occupied. Within the Castle is St George’s Chapel, the site of many royal weddings through the years, and the home of the Most Noble Order of the Garter. It is here that the annual Garter Day service and procession take place.
In the surrounding Home Park and Windsor Great Park are many current and former royal residences, including:
- Unofficial Royalty: Fort Belvedere
- Unofficial Royalty: Frogmore House
- Unofficial Royalty: Royal Lodge
Click HERE for our in-depth article about Windsor Castle!
- Wikipedia: Windsor Castle
- British Monarchy: Windsor Castle
- Unofficial Royalty: St. George’s Chapel
- Official Website: St George’s Chapel
- Wikipedia: Home Park, Windsor
- Wikipedia: Windsor Great Park
Palace of Holyroodhouse
Edinburgh, Scotland
The Palace of Holyroodhouse is The Sovereign’s official residence in Scotland, situated at one end of the Royal Mile, in the ‘Old Town’ area of Edinburgh. The Sovereign traditionally spends a week in residence at the end of June. This was the site of the first garden party, held by King George V and Queen Mary – a tradition that continues to this day.
Click HERE for our in-depth article about the Palace of Holyroodhouse!
Hillsborough Castle
Northern Ireland
Hillsborough Castle is the Sovereign’s official residence when visiting Northern Ireland, although its primary use is as the residence of the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland.
Sandringham House
Norfolk
Originally purchased as a home for the future King Edward VII, Sandringham House remains one of the privately owned homes of The Sovereign. The late Queen Elizabeth II traditionally spent the Christmas holiday here with the royal family, and remained in residence until February, after the anniversary of her accession to the throne.
Within the grounds are several other residences, including:
York Cottage – formerly the home of the future King George V and Queen Mary, now primarily offices
Park House – birthplace of Diana, Princess of Wales, now operated as the Park House Hotel
Anmer Hall – the country home of the Prince and Princess of Wales
Wood Farm – often used for former spouses and other guests during the holidays
Click HERE for our in-depth article about Sandringham House!
Balmoral Castle
Royal Deeside, Aberdeenshire, Scotland
Balmoral was originally purchased by Queen Victoria and remains the private property of The Sovereign. The late Queen Elizabeth II traditionally spent August and September at Balmoral. It was here that she passed away on September 8, 2022.
Click HERE for our in-depth article about Balmoral Castle!
Clarence House
London
Clarence House is the official London residence of the former Prince of Wales and Duchess of Cornwall (now The King and Queen Consort). Located just east of Buckingham Palace, along The Mall, it is attached to St James’ Palace. Clarence House is most commonly associated with The Queen Mother, who lived here for nearly 50 years, until her death in 2002.
Click HERE for our in-depth article about Clarence House!
- Wikipedia: Clarence House
- British Monarchy: Clarence House
- Prince of Wales: Royal Residences (information on Clarence House, Highgrove House, Birkhall and Llwynwermod)
Highgrove House
Gloucestershire
Owned by the Duchy of Cornwall, Highgrove House has been the country home of King Charles III since 1981.
Llwynywermod
near Myddfai, Llandovery, Carmarthenshire, Wales
Owned by the Duchy of Cornwall, Llwynywermod has been the Welsh home of King Charles III since 2008.
Birkhall
near Royal Deeside, Aberdeenshire, Scotland
Located on The Balmoral Estate, Birkhall was the longtime home of Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother, and then the former Prince of Wales and Duchess of Cornwall (now King Charles III and Queen Camilla).
Royal Lodge
Windsor Great Park, Windsor
Located in Windsor Great Park, Royal Lodge is the official residence of The Duke of York, leased from the Crown Estate. It had been, for over 70 years, the private residence of The Queen Mother. Within the grounds is a small cottage, Y Bwthyn Bach, which was a gift to the then Princess Elizabeth in 1932 from the people of Wales. (visible in the photo above, at the bottom, center.)
Click HERE for our in-depth article about Royal Lodge!
Bagshot Park
Bagshot, Surrey
Leased from the Crown Estate, Bagshot Park is the official residence of The Duke and Duchess of Edninburgh and their family.
Click HERE for our in-depth article about Bagshot Park!
Gatcombe Park
Gloucestershire
Gatcombe Park is the privately-owned residence of The Princess Royal and her husband, Vice-Admiral Tim Laurence. Originally purchased by The Queen as a wedding gift for her daughter, the property was later expanded to include the neighboring Aston Farm. After divorcing, Princess Anne retained Gatcombe Park while her first husband, Mark Phillips, retained the Aston Farm estate where he still lives. Gatcombe Park is the site of several equestrian events throughout the year.
Kensington Palace
London
Kensington Palace, just west of Buckingham Palace is the London home of several members of the Royal Family. The Palace contains the apartments of The Prince and Princess of Wales, The Duke and Duchess of Gloucester, and Prince and Princess Michael of Kent. The grounds also contain the homes of Princess Eugenie and Jack Brooksbank (Ivy Cottage), and The Duke and Duchess of Kent (Wren House), as well as Nottingham Cottage, which was once the home of The Prince and Princess of Wales prior to their move to Apt.#1A, and the Duke and Duchess of Sussex prior to their move to Frogmore Cottage at Windsor. Notable former residents at Kensington Palace include Diana, Princess of Wales and The Princess Margaret, Countess of Snowdon. The palace also contains the offices of The Prince and Princess of Wales.
Formerly the official residence of the monarch, the last Sovereign to live here was George II. It was at Kensington Palace in 1837 that the young Princess Victoria learned that she had become Queen, at which point she moved to Buckingham Palace.
- Wikipedia: Kensington Palace
- British Monarchy: Kensington Palace
- Historic Royal Palaces: Kensington Palace
Thatched House Lodge
Richmond upon Thames
By Robert Smith – Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=44552807
Thatched House Lodge is the private residence of Princess Alexandra, The Honourable Lady Ogilvy, the cousin of the late Queen Elizabeth II. It is leased from the Crown Estate.
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