Saturday, 28 Dec 2024

The Royal Family’s 24 palaces and stately homes worth £6.8billion

Kings’s Guard perform Elton John classic outside Buckingham Palace

The royal estate currently contains no less than 24 residences for use by members of the Royal Family and their guests.

While some are well-known palatial landmarks used for official duties, many more discreet complexes dot the UK countryside, from a converted farmhouse near Wales’ Brecon Beacons to a holiday let cottage on the Isles of Scilly.

Some are owned by the Crown – and passed down the line of succession to the reigning monarch – while others belong to individual Windsors privately.

Altogether they are thought to be worth some £6.76billion in 2023.

Check Express.co.uk’s map below to see the true scope of the Firm’s real estate holdings.

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Buckingham Palace

The King has three official residences where he undertakes his work as head of state: Buckingham Palace, Windsor Castle and the Palace of Holyroodhouse in Edinburgh.

Buckingham Palace has been the London residence of the monarch since Queen Victoria took to the throne in 1837. Millions of tourists gather at the gates each year to catch a glimpse of the Royal Family on the balcony or simply marvel at the King’s Guard on patrol.

Within its neoclassical walls are 775 rooms, including 188 staff bedrooms, 92 offices, 78 bathrooms, 52 royal and guest bedrooms and 19 staterooms – all contributing towards its astonishing £3.9billion valuation.

Despite its grandeur, King Charles III and Queen Camilla are reportedly hesitant to move there from Clarence House, caring little for its vastness, after the £369million worth of renovations are completed in 2027.

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Windsor Castle

Originally built in the 11th century, Windsor Castle is the largest and oldest occupied castle in the world, and has been a royal residence for over nine hundred years.

Nearly 1.5 million people visit the £595million fortress each year. The late Queen Elizabeth II was buried in King George VI Memorial Chapel there last year, laid to rest alongside her husband, father, mother and sister.

St. James’s Palace

The former residence of the English monarchs, St. James’ Palace, on the Mall, is today the London of Princess Anne, Princess Beatrice, and Princess Alexandra. It received particular attention last year as the place where the Garter King of Arms formally announces the accession of a new monarch from the Proclamation Gallery.

Lancaster Castle

Founded on the ruins of a Roman fort, Lancaster Castle dates back to the 11th century. Used as a prison for many years, the building is open to visitors as a historical landmark today, barring one section reserved for sittings of the Crown Court.

Palace of Holyrood House

Owned by the Crown, the £55.1million Palace of Holyroodhouse is the monarch’s official residence in Scotland. Having begun life as a monastery in 1128, today it hosts a range of national events including the celebration of Scottish culture known as Holyrood Week.

Hillsborough Castle

Set on 100 acres of immaculate gardens and trimmed lawns, Hillsborough Castle is the monarch’s official residence in Northern Ireland, and a prime location for other royals to stay when visiting the nation across the Irish Sea.

Clarence House

One of the last aristocratic townhouses in London, the £56.6million Clarence House was at various times home to Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip after their marriage in 1947, the Queen Mother from 1953 until her death in 2002, and to the King and his wife before his accession.

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Kensington Palace

The birthplace and childhood home of Queen Victoria, the £49.4million 547-room palace is currently the London home and office of a number of royals, including the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge. It was also the former home of Princess Diana as well as Prince Harry and Meghan Markle.

Highgrove House

Nestled in the Gloucestershire countryside, the private family home of King Charles and Queen Camilla is famous for its beautiful gardens, which members of the public can tour on select dates throughout the year.

Balmoral Castle

Balmoral Castle was the Queen’s beloved Scottish summer home. Sitting amongst 150 buildings dispersed across 50,000 acres of the Cairngorms, she also died there last September, the first British monarch to do so.

Sandringham House

Sandringham House in Norfolk is where the Royal Family usually spends Christmas, attending religious services at the Church of St. Mary Magdalene on the 19,000 acre grounds.

Llwynywermod

As the Royal Family’s only residence in Wales, this farmhouse belongs to King Charles privately and was refurbished in 2007. In June of 2023, however, he said he was unlikely to be renewing the lease after the summer.

The Royal Lodge

Three miles south of the Castle in Windsor Great Park, Royal Lodge – thought to be worth some £30million – was formerly the country retreat of the Queen Mother. Prince Andrew moved into the 30-room home with then-wife Sarah Ferguson back in 2004.

The Duke of York stepped away from frontline royal duties in 2021 after Virginia Giuffre’s allegations, and now reportedly fears he won’t be allowed to return to the Lodge if he leaves during the roof repairs it requires.

Tamarisk

Also known as Dolphin House, this six-bedroom house on the Isles of Scilly is a popular holiday spot for Royal Family members, and one which is also regularly let out to members of the public. The former rectory is said to offer impeccable views of Round Island Lighthouse.

Other properties in the royal portfolio include Bagshot Park, Amner Hall, Thatched House Lodge, Gatcombe Park, Adelaide Cottage, Birkhall and Craigowan Lodge on the Balmoral grounds and Wren House in Kensington Palace.

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