Celebrity

Every Single Lavish Residence Owned By The British Royal Family

From castles to palaces

When cataloguing the impressive list of perks that comes with being a member of the British Royal Family, sparkling tiaras and access to high-end designer ateliers rank high.

But one plus we hadn’t considered was the real estate.

Owing to its long history and extensive wealth, ‘The Firm’ has acquired or built dozens and dozens of lavish properties all around the U.K.

From historical castles in Scotland to sprawling manors in the English countryside (and even a ‘quaint’ little house in Wales), royals have no shortage of options when it comes to stays in their native Britain.

If you have a passing interest in seeing how the royal family lives when they’re not kissing babies and cutting ribbons, we’ve dug a little deeper into their (seemingly) never-ending list of homes from England, Ireland, Scotland and Wales.

Buckingham Palace

British Royal Houses
British Royal hosues
British Royal Hosues

The Location: Aberdeenshire, Scotland.

The History: Originally purchased by Queen Victoria, Balmoral is a huge Scottish estate owned by Queen Elizabeth, who lives there from August to September.

Who Lives There: The Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh.

British Royal Hosues
British Royal Houses
British Royal Houses

Inside Sandringham House.

Kensington Palace

Kensington palace
British Royal hosues
British Royal houses

The Location: Windsor, Berkshire, England.

The History: The Queen’s official country residence, this ancient castle boasts over 1,000 rooms and several more offices and ballrooms. The Queen often travels to spend the weekend at the castle, which also hosts several weddings and christenings.

Who Lives There: The Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh.

British Royal houses
British Royal houses
British Royal Houses
Clarence Hosue
British Royal Houses
British Royal Houses
Highgrove House
Highgrove House
British Royal Houses

The Location: County Down, Northern Ireland.

The History: Hillsborough Castle is the official residence of Queen Elizabeth when she’s in Ireland, and is also the home of the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland. The castle (which is actually just a Georgian mansion, as it isn’t fortified) was built in the 18th century.

Who Lives There: The Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh.

Frogmore House

Frogmore House

The Location: Windsor, Berkshire.

The History: Although Frogmore House doesn’t have any official royal residents, it’s used for quite a few official engagements and events by the family—including, most recently, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s wedding reception. It is named, if you can believe it, because there is an abundance of frogs in the area.

Who Lives There: No official residents.

Frogmore Cottage

Frogmore Cottage

The Location: Windsor, Berkshire.

The History: Situated on the grounds of Frogmore House, the Cottage is now home to the Duke and Duchess of Sussex and their son, Archie. The 10-bedroom home underwent extensive renovations.

Who Lives There: The Duke and Duchess of Sussex.

Osborne House

Osborne House

The Location: Isle of Wight, England.

The History: Built by Queen Victoria and Prince Albert in 1845, this summer home was modelled after an Italian Renaissance palazzo.

Who Lives There: No official residents.

Osbourne House.

An aerial view of Osbourne House.

St James’s Palace

St James's Palace
St James's Palace.
Craigowan Lodge

The Location: Balmoral, Aberdeenshire.

The History: Located on the Balmoral Castle estate, this seven-bedroom “rustic” home is used as a guest house for visiting residents, including politicians and foreign royals.

Who Lives There: The Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh.

Llwynywermod

Llwynywermod

The Location: Myddfai, Llandovery, Carmarthenshire, Wales.

The History: Originally owned by a relative of Anne Boleyn, the quaint three-bedroom house serves as one of the residences for Prince Charles when he’s in Wales. When he’s not staying there, it’s often leased out as a bed and breakfast.

Who Lives There: The Prince of Wales and the Duchess of Cornwall.

Llwynywermod
Birkhall.

The Location: Balmoral, Aberdeenshire.

The History: A popular holiday home for the royals, a young Queen Elizabeth spent a lot of time at Birkhall with her sister, whilst it was also a honeymoon spot for Prince Charles and where the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge occasionally spend New Year’s Eve.

Who Lives There: The Prince of Wales and the Duchess of Cornwall.

Birkhall.
Gatcombe Park
The Royal Lodge
Barnwell Manor

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