This post brings together all of the British Royal Family’s homes, from public headquarters to private residences, from the famous Buckingham Palace to lesser known palaces and castles across the British isles:
Buckingham Palace
Arguably one of the most famous palaces in the world, Buckingham Palace has been the official seat of residence for the British monarch since Queen Victoria. Though the state rooms are annually opened to the public, the majority of the palace is restricted to staff offices and private apartments for various royals. Until her death in 2022, Queen Elizabeth II’s London residence was a private apartment at the rear of the palace. Find out more about that here.
Windsor Castle
A royal residence since William The Conquerer, the fort was most recently the favoured residence of Britain’s longest serving monarch, Queen Elizabeth II, who has a private apartment in the upper ward, which you can view in this post. The castle has also been scene to centuries of royal history, including the 1992 fire that tore through the state apartments. Today, the state rooms are open to the public.
Within the Windsor estate is a host of other royal residences, most of which are private homes for various royals such as Adelaide Cottage, the temporary Windsor home of The Prince and Princess of Wales, The Royal Lodge, home to The Duke of York, and Fort Belvedere, former home of The Duke of Windsor. Also on the estate is Frogmore House, a former royal residence regularly opened as a public venue, along with Frogmore gardens. Within the Frogmore estate in the private residence of Frogmore Cottage.
Kensington Palace
Located in London, Kensington Palace was originally a single residence for King William and Queen Mary, who purchased the former mansion in 1689. Over the centuries, however, the property has expanded and developed into a residential complex for royals and royal staff, from mansion-sized multi-floor apartments, to quaint cottages and classic two-storey houses. The original state rooms are open to the public, while next-door residences include the London home to The Prince and Princess of Wales; Apartment 1A, while across the spacious forecourt is a series of properties including Wren Cottage, Nottingham Cottage and Ivy Cottage.
Balmoral Castle
The royal family’s Scottish summer retreat since Queen Victoria and Prince Albert bought the estate in 1848. Balmoral, located in Royal Deeside within the Cairngorms National Park, comprises of roughly 50,000 acres of land with a host of buildings, from ancillary to summer cottages. The castle was Queen Elizabeth II’s ‘favourite place on earth’ and where she passed away last summer. You can see inside the property here. Neighbouring the castle is King Charles’ summer estate Birkhall which he inherited from his beloved grandmother in 2002 and is believed to continue to summer in despite inheriting Balmoral.
Sandringham Estate
Sandringham House, located in the Norfolk countryside, is a private residence and is typically home to the Royals at Christmas time. Despite being a private royal residence, the house’s reception rooms have been opened to public tours in recent years. You can see inside the property here, or learn more about a typical royal Christmas at Sandringham in this post.
Other royal residences
View Queen Elizabeth II’s home history, from the modest townhouse she was born in to an abandoned villa in Malta, in this previous post. Take a look at Prince Philip’s varied childhood home history, from Greece to Paris and beyond, in this previous post. Browse Princess Catherine’s childhood homes in this previous post. You can view more by browsing the ‘royalty‘ tag.