Here’s Every Royal Palace the British Family Owns

Whether you’re British or not, odds are you know something about the British royal family. They’re worldwide public icons, and part of being royalty is owning lots of gorgeous homes and palaces, many of which held great historical significance in the past. From Kensington Palace to Clarence House, here’s a compilation featuring every royal palace that the British family owns.

One of the most well-known monarchs in British royalty was Queen Elizabeth II, who ruled the United Kingdom for a whopping 70 years. Pictured are several of her immediate family members, like her son, now King Charles III.

Also shown are Prince William, his wife Kate, their three children, Prince Harry and his wife Megan, and various other cousins and siblings. The current British royal family is nothing if not vast!

Perhaps the most famous palace owned by the royals is Buckingham Palace. Built in 1703 and located in Westminster, it’s a common stop on any tour of London and it acts as the administrative headquarters. It’s actually the 14th largest palace in the world!

Queen Victoria was the first monarch to ever actually live at Buckingham Palace, and she was also the first royal family member to do the famous “balcony wave,” which has since become a royal tradition.

Even though the palace is enormous, no one lives there except the British monarch and their immediate family, meaning it was home to Queen Elizabeth II and is now home to King Charles. It’s actually considered the official residence of the British Monarch.

If you’ve ever worried about your home being small, you may not want to read this bit — Buckingham Palace has 775 rooms, 52 of which are royal and guest bedrooms, and 78 of which are bathrooms! At least no royal family member will ever have to wait to use the “loo.”

Anyone who is a big fan of William, Harry, and Diana is probably familiar with Kensington Palace. It’s also known for being where Queen Victoria first laid eyes on Prince Albert, being home to a great love story.

The beautiful building was also home to tons of glamorous, incredible parties thrown by Princess Margaret. Anyone could see why — between such gorgeous gardens outside and stunning décor inside, who wouldn’t want to attend a party there?

Many royals have called Kensington Palace home throughout the years — the most recent being Prince William, Kate Middleton, and their three children. Other famous members have lived there in the past, though.

The former queen’s sister, Princess Margaret called the palace home, as well as Princess Diana, pictured here. Princess Diana was well-beloved by millions around the world. It makes sense that one of her children would now live here in their childhood home.

Before it became a palace, the Palace of Holyroodhouse was actually founded as a monastery way back in 1128! This palace in Scotland just looks historical, but it’s also the official residence of the queen in Scotland.

It’s easy to forget that the United Kingdom is actually made up of four countries — England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland. Holy Rood, which was the name of the abbey and therefore the palace, means “holy cross.”

The palace contains the State Apartments, which Queen Elizabeth II (and now King Charles) would use when she visited the country, as well as lots of art, like many of the other palaces.

Here the queen can be seen meeting with Nicola Sturgeon. Her Majesty’s bright outfit provides quite the contrast to the dark background of the Holyroodhouse’s interior. That poor fireplace looks like it needs a bit of a sprucing up.

One of the more stunning buildings owned by the British royal family, Hampton Court Palace was actually the former seat of the Tudor dynasty (does the name King Henry VIII ring a bell?). But, he wasn’t the one who commissioned it.

That was actually Cardinal Thomas Wolsey, but King Henry liked it so much that he claimed it for himself. All six of his wives were brought to the palace. Was it haunted by the ones who came before?

The inside of the palace contains many rooms, one of which is the Great Hall. The room itself is gorgeous, but a lot of big events in history took place in this room.

Does the name William Shakespeare ring a bell? Hamlet and Macbeth were both first performed here. George II was the last monarch to live at this palace, though, and it’s now a museum open to the public.

Until the reign of Queen Victoria, St. James’s Palace was the residence of the English monarchs. It was actually built by the infamous monarch King Henry VIII between 1531 and 1536.

A lot of the original building is still standing, although it has of course had some updates throughout the years. It’s located in London in the Westminster area. Even though it’s not the monarchy’s main London residence anymore, it’s still a very important location for the family.

A lot of members of the royal family use St. James’s Palace as their base in London, including Princess Anne, the queen’s daughter. Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie shared an apartment there, too.

When you think of sharing a flat, you probably think of roommates in a small apartment, but that wasn’t the case for Beatrice and Eugenie — whose flat was rumored to have four floors. At least they definitely weren’t tripping over each other’s toes!

It’s clear from looking at Clarence House that many royals prefer something a bit smaller than large places like St. James’s Palace. It doesn’t look like much, but it’s a very important royal home.

It was originally built between 1825 and 1827 for King William IV, but unfortunately, most of the original structure was destroyed due to world events in the 1940s. Clarence House is four stories and has got five bedrooms.

Clarence House has been home to many members of the royal family throughout the years, but at the moment it houses King Charles III himself and his wife, Queen Consort Camilla.

Many wonder whether Charles and Camilla will move to Buckingham Palace since it’s the official seat of the monarchy, but they have no clear plans to do so at the moment. Buckingham Palace is undergoing lots of renovations, and why move when they’re already cozy where they are?

Located a very convenient short 20 miles from Buckingham Palace, Windsor Castle has been an icon in England for much longer than any of us — including the British royal family — have been alive.

William the Conqueror started building it around 1070 to protect the western approach to London, making this incredible building both the largest and oldest home to the British monarchy for over 1,000 years! This could definitely fit in an “My old home” Facebook group.

Windsor Castle was where former Queen Elizabeth II would go to escape the hustle and bustle of central London, and it was also chosen as her final resting place — where she rests with Prince Phillip, her husband.

It was said to be her favorite home, but that may have just been in England, because another palace we’ll see later on was said to be her favorite home in Scotland. Regardless, it’s hard to deny how happy she looks walking her corgis among the steps of Windsor.

Fort Belvedere, which is located in Windsor Great Park, is often called the “forgotten castle” due to the fact that no royal has lived there for decades (although it’s currently occupied by private residents).

The last royal to live there was former King Edward VIII, who rose to the throne in 1936, but quickly deemed that the royal life wasn’t for him thanks to the Church being against him marrying Wallis Simpson, who had been twice-divorced.

Edward was determined, though. At the end of 1936 at Fort Belvedere, he signed his abdication papers and stepped down from the throne, therefore leaving Fort Belvedere behind for greener pastures in France.

They say that he said that he had “some of the happiest days” of his life at Fort Belvedere, and he did some pretty drastic renovations to the property when he lived there, like adding a pool! Because even royals like to go for a swim once in a while.

We travel back to Scotland with Balmoral Castle, which is another stunning palace owned by the royal family. It was Queen Elizabeth II’s summer home, and a lot of historical events took place there.

It was purchased by Queen Victoria and Prince Albert in 1852, but they say it was built around 1390, making it one of the older royal residences. Even so, the property seen here isn’t the original one. In fact, the royal couple tore down the original house and built the larger castle.

Among the events that took place here are now King Charles II’s and Princess Diana’s honeymoon, Harry and William finding out about the passing of their mother, and of course, Queen Elizabeth II’s passing.

As seen in the photo, the queen spent her summer holidays at Balmoral each year, and a lot of people point to it as her favorite residence, not Windsor. Whichever was her favorite, she sure looks happy at Balmoral.

Located on the same property as Balmoral Castle is Craigowan Lodge, a smaller stone cottage that’s around a mile away from the main castle property. When you hear cottage, you tend to think of something small, but this home clearly isn’t.

Seven bedrooms isn’t exactly considered quaint, although we will admit that the exterior of the building gives quaint stone cottage vibes. Being right on the edge of a forest must be so peaceful.

Craigowan Lodge is probably most famous due to the fact that it was where then Prince Charles and Princess Diana would stay when they visited Balmoral, but it was also commonly used for another reason.

Former Queen Elizabeth II liked to arrive for her summer holiday in Scotland before the tourist season at Balmoral Castle was over, so she would stay in Craigowan Lodge to hide away from pesky tourists until the season finished.

Barrogill Castle, more commonly known as the Castle of Mey, was started in 1567 and completed by others as the earl who commissioned the building of the castle ran out of money!

The castle was in a pretty sorry state throughout the years until the Queen Mother, Queen Elizabeth, bought it in 1952. She restored it and became very enchanted by it. Who could blame her with that beautiful scenery surrounding it?

Here’s the Queen Mother enjoying her gorgeous garden at the Castle of Mey with her pups, an activity pretty much any normal person can relate to. Everyone knew how much she loved to spend time in her Scottish home.

She visited for around a month in August and a few weeks in October for several years until not long before she passed away. You can even see the story of how it was bought if you watch The Crown!

In 1952, the former queen, Elizabeth II inherited Sandringham House, an absolutely massive property at 19,000 acres. The royal family has owned the property since 1862 when it was bought by the man who would become King Edward VII.

The house has four important rooms — the Saloon, which is used as the main reception room; the Ballroom, which acts as the main family room; the Dining Room, with many gorgeous tapestries; and the Drawing room, where visitors would go after dinners.

On the Sandringham House property is Anmer Hall, which is the country home of the former Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, more affectionately known as William and Kate. Most royal family members have both a London residence and a country home.

Anmer Hall is thought to have 10 bedrooms, so theoretically, each of William and Kate’s children could have two bedrooms just because they want to! That much space probably isn’t needed, though, with such sprawling gardens to play in.

This property may look like something straight out of Downton Abbey, but in reality, it’s yet another property owned by a member of the royal family. Barnwell Manor was bought by Prince Henry, the Duke of Gloucester at the time, in 1938.

Before that, it was owned by the Montagus as a gift from King Henry VII way back in 1540. These aren’t the Romeo and Juliet Montagues, though, despite Shakespeare living around the same time!

The manor now belongs to the current Duke of Gloucester, Prince Richard. But while it was his childhood home, he and his family no longer live on the property, having relocated to Kensington Palace in 1995.

In fact, it may not be under their ownership for much longer, as they put it up for sale in October 2022 after Queen Elizabeth II’s passing! As far as we know, the manor has yet to be sold, probably because most people can’t afford it.

The unique thing about Thatched House Lodge is that it was originally two homes, not one! There were two houses built in 1673, but then were merged into one in 1771 and renamed.

If you look at this picture, it kind of makes sense. The parts with the window shutters look like the start of two separate identical buildings. What we want to know is why the rest of the windows don’t have shutters!

Thatched House Lodge is currently inhabited by Princess Alexandra, also known as The Honourable Lady Ogilvy. She’s the cousin of the late Queen Elizabeth II, and has hosted many events in support of the royal family throughout the years.

A fun fact about her is that Princess Alexandra was the first British princess to go to an ordinary school, making her just like the rest of us (despite the fact that her home has six bedrooms and six reception rooms!).

If you’re wondering why Frogmore House is called Frogmore House, the answer is surprisingly simple — the area originally had a very large number of frogs. There’s nothing better than a straightforward name.

It makes sense when you see the lush green grass and that the house is so close to a large pond; it’s the perfect environment for some little green guests. The contrast of the white house with the grass is gorgeous.

Frogmore House became a royal residence in 1792, and while it was used as a residence by various royals throughout the years, there isn’t currently anyone living there. That doesn’t mean it isn’t useful, though.

The house is used for entertaining. Members of the family often have picnics there, which is understandable when looking at that gorgeous lawn, and Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s evening reception was held there as well.

Also located on Frogmore estate, Frogmore Cottage is a four-bedroom, four-bathroom home that even contains a veggie garden and yoga studio, making it one of the more modern royal residences.

Queen Charlotte had it built in 1801, and it was actually first known as Double Garden Cottage. Many different people have lived there, but in 2019 it was renovated by the Duke and Duchess of Sussex. It originally had 10 rooms.

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex are none other than Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, and they lived in Frogmore Cottage before moving to California. They were understood to be keeping the cottage as their home base in the United Kingdom, though.

However, Princess Eugenie and her husband Jack Brooksbank were living there for a while, supposedly with the approval of Harry and Meghan. They’ve since moved out, so now the cottage stands awaiting the day Harry and Meghan return.

Ivy Cottage is another home located within Kensington Palace. It’s a “grace-and-favor” home. If you’re like us and have no idea what that means, then it basically means a home owned by a monarch, leased rent-free to people in gratitude.

The cottage itself is really beautiful, with the red detailing and white really standing out against the dark gray stone. And of course, like any royal property, the lawn is perfectly manicured and lusciously green.

No one currently lives in Ivy Cottage, but the most recent residents were Princess Eugenie and her husband, Jack Brooksbank. They moved there a few months after getting engaged. It was their first home together.

They moved out in 2021, though, and moved into Harry and Meghan’s abandoned Frogmore Cottage home. Perhaps they needed a bigger place for their children and all of the princess’s art. It’s a shame, though, since they renovated the place extensively before even moving in.

Once again we travel to Kensington Palace, but this time it’s to a little place called Wren House. It’s one of the few places that’s been home to a member of the royal family for an extended period of time.

Not much is known about the building, other than that it’s only two stories and that the building actually used to house staff at the palace. It looks like any other multi-level home you’d see in England, although it’s a bit larger.

Wren House is said to have five bedrooms and a beautiful walled-in garden, and the Duke of Kent and his wife have lived there since the 1970s. The duke is another of the late Queen Elizabeth’s cousins.

A fun fact about the duke is that he’s a pretty big tennis enthusiast. He’s often been seen at Wimbledon tennis tournaments, and sometimes he’s even presented the champions with their trophies. Oftentimes, other members of the family join him.

Dumfries House is a country house located in Scotland. It’s one of the few 18th-century houses that still retains much of its original furniture, making it very culturally significant for the United Kingdom.

The central part of the house is three stories, and it’s surrounded by beautiful gardens with a large fountain out front. It looks like a classic example of old-school sprawling English manors, and any person would drool over the idea of living there.

Dumfries House isn’t used as a royal residence, though, even though it’s owned by the royal family. It was actually bought and, therefore, rescued by now King Charles III, who renovated the large house for other uses.

It’s open to tours from the public, but it’s also used for a lot of educational endeavors, like this giant knitted art installation that the king and Camilla unveiled. What a great way to bring more color into the grounds.

Adding to the list of older residences owned by the royal family is The Old Palace of Hatfield Park. It was built in the late 1400s, and is a great example of medieval brickwork.

The pillars and raised areas of the old palace give it a very unique look, and the reddish color of the brick makes it stand out. Add on the extensive gardens, and you can see why Henry VIII chose it as the nursery for his three children.

If there’s one thing that the old royal palace did not go for, it’s subtlety. It’s currently the home of Robert Gascoyne-Cecil, the 7th Marquess of Salisbury, but people can visit.

Seen here is one of the sitting rooms, and honestly, this room is any maximalist’s dream! The walls covered in portraits, the green velvet armchairs, and the plethora of lamps make such a big room seem surprisingly cozy.

While living in the United Kingdom, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle inhabited Frogmore Cottage. But when Harry stepped down from his duties, the couple moved to Santa Barbara, California, and bought this gorgeous home for nearly $15 million.

The home boasts nine bedrooms and 19 bathrooms, meaning it definitely fits in with the other luxurious homes inhabited by royal family members, even if it isn’t technically owned by the royal family. We’re not sure what two people need with 19 bathrooms, though!

Here fans of the couple got a glimpse of inside their home office. Sure, it’s just a corner, but that lush plant gives us hope that the rest of the home is just as beautiful.

The couple has said that they never plan to return to the United Kingdom, but we’re sure that this home is plenty big enough to give their two children, Lilibet and Archie, amazing childhood memories.

Rounding off the list is perhaps the most unconventional of the residences owned by the British royal family. She sailed her first voyage in 1954, and spent 44 years serving the royal family.

There’s a long history of the royal family owning yachts, so of course the late Queen Elizabeth II was no exception. It was decommissioned in 1997 and is now a museum that also hosts various events. The queen gave it up due to the “costs being too great.”

The yacht is a whopping 412 feet long, and it has 23 luxury cabins for guests to sleep in. Queen Elizabeth truly loved the yacht, and even once said, “Britannia is the one place where I can truly relax.”

In fact, when Prime Minister John Major said that the yacht would be decommissioned, it was one of the few times that the queen was moved to tears. She must have really loved her memories on that boat.