List of British royal residences
 | This article contains embedded lists that may be poorly defined, unverified or indiscriminate. (April 2021) |
Buckingham Palace
Windsor Castle
Holyrood Palace
Balmoral Castle & Craigowan Lodge
Red: Used by the Queen
Blue: Used by the Prince of Wales and the Duchess of Cornwall
Green: Used by the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge
Red: Used by the Queen Blue: Used by the Prince of Wales and the Duchess of Cornwall Green: Used by the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge
Buckingham Palace, the primary residence of Her Majesty The Queen and the administrative headquarters of the Monarchy of the United Kingdom.
Windsor Castle is the weekend residence of Her Majesty The Queen.
Palace of Holyroodhouse, Her Majesty The Queen's official residence in Scotland.
Balmoral Castle, Her Majesty The Queen's private residence located in Aberdeenshire.
British royal residences are palaces, castles and houses occupied by members of the British royal family in the United Kingdom. Some, like Buckingham Palace and Windsor Castle, are owned by the Crown (ownership by the British monarch is by virtue of his or her position as king or queen),[1] while others like Balmoral Castle and Sandringham House are personally owned[2] and have been passed down for generations. Some royal palaces, such as the Palace of Westminster, are no longer residences. Some remain in irregular use for royal occasions, such as Hillsborough Castle in Northern Ireland.
The royal palaces enjoy certain legal privileges known as royal prerogatives: for example, there is an exemption from levying duty on alcoholic beverages sold in the bars at the Palace of Westminster and there are exemptions from health and safety legislation. According to Halsbury's Laws of England, it is not possible to arrest a person within the "verges" of a royal palace (though this assertion is contradicted by a memorandum by the Clerk of the House of Commons in respect of the Palace of Westminster)[3] and, when a royal palace is used as a residence (regardless of whether the monarch is actually living there at the time)[further explanation needed], judicial processes cannot be executed within that palace.[4]
The occupied royal residences are cared for and maintained by the Property Section of the Royal Households of the United Kingdom.[1] The unoccupied royal palaces of England, along with Hillsborough Castle, are the responsibility of Historic Royal Palaces.
Unlike the other nations of the United Kingdom, there is no official residence for a member of the royal family in Wales;[5] Llwynywermod is the private Welsh residence of The Prince of Wales.
Current royal residences[]
| Residence | Location | Type | Residents | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Buckingham Palace | London, England | Crown |
|
Official London residence |
| Windsor Castle | Windsor, Berkshire, England | Crown | The Queen | Official country residence |
| Palace of Holyroodhouse | Edinburgh, Scotland | Crown | The Queen | Official Scottish residence (whenever the royal family undertake official duties in Scotland: primarily Holyrood week in July) |
| Hillsborough Castle | County Down, Northern Ireland | Crown | The Queen | Official residence in Northern Ireland (whenever the royal family undertake official duties in Northern Ireland)[6] |
| Sandringham House | Sandringham, Norfolk, England | Private | The Queen | Christmas until February, inherited from the current Queen's father |
| Balmoral Castle | Aberdeenshire, Scotland | Private | The Queen | August and September, inherited from the current Queen's father |
| Craigowan Lodge | Balmoral, Aberdeenshire | Private | The Queen | Inherited from the current Queen's father |
| Clarence House | London | Crown | The Prince of Wales and the Duchess of Cornwall | Official London residence, grace and favour |
| Highgrove House | Gloucestershire | Duchy of Cornwall | The Prince of Wales and the Duchess of Cornwall | |
| Llwynywermod | Myddfai, Llandovery, Carmarthenshire, Wales | Duchy of Cornwall | The Prince of Wales and the Duchess of Cornwall | Usual country residence of the Prince of Wales in Wales |
| Tamarisk House | Isles of Scilly | Duchy of Cornwall | The Prince of Wales and the Duchess of Cornwall | |
| Birkhall | Balmoral, Aberdeenshire | Private | The Prince of Wales and the Duchess of Cornwall | Previously used by Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother; located on the estate of Balmoral Castle |
| Kensington Palace | London | Crown |
|
Official London residence, also a Historic Royal Palace, grace and favour |
| Anmer Hall | Sandringham Estate, Norfolk | Private | The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge | Located on the grounds of Sandringham House[7] |
| Frogmore Cottage | Windsor, Berkshire | Crown |
|
Leased from the Crown Estate |
| St James's Palace | London | Crown |
|
Official London residence, grace and favour |
| Gatcombe Park | Minchinhampton, Gloucestershire | Private | The Princess Royal | Privately owned home |
| The Royal Lodge | Windsor, Berkshire | Crown |
|
Official country residence, leased from the Crown Estate |
| Ivy Cottage | Kensington Palace, London | Crown | Princess Eugenie | Current residence, leased from the Crown Estate |
| Bagshot Park | Bagshot, Surrey | Crown | The Earl and Countess of Wessex | Official country residence, leased from the Crown Estate |
| Barnwell Manor | Barnwell, Northamptonshire | Private | The Duke and Duchess of Gloucester | Not in residence – as of 2017 it was occupied by Windsor House Antiques. |
| Wren House | Kensington Palace, London | Crown | The Duke and Duchess of Kent | Official London residence, also a Historic Royal Palace, grace and favour |
| Thatched House Lodge | Richmond, London | Crown | Princess Alexandra, The Honourable Lady Ogilvy | Official country residence, leased from the Crown Estate |
Former royal residences[]
| Residence | Location | Royals and Dates |
|---|---|---|
| Abergeldie Castle | Abergeldie, Aberdeenshire | Queen Victoria to Elizabeth II (1848–1970) |
| Albany | Piccadilly, London | Prince Frederick, Duke of York (1791–1802) |
| Allerton Castle | North Yorkshire | Prince Frederick, Duke of York (1786–1789) |
| Apethorpe Palace | Apthorp Park, in Apethorpe, Northamptonshire | Henry VIII to Charles I |
| Audley End House | Saffron Walden, Essex | Charles II (1668–1701) |
| Banqueting House | Whitehall, London | Last remaining property of the Palace of Whitehall, now a Historic Royal Palace |
| Barnwell Manor | Northamptonshire | Princes Henry and Richard, Dukes of Gloucester (1938–1995; still owned) |
| Palace of Beaulieu | Chelmsford, Essex | Henry VIII; Edward VI; Mary I; Elizabeth I (1517–1622) |
| Beaumont Palace | Oxford | Henry I to Edward II; 1130–1318) |
| Fort Belvedere | Windsor Great Park | Prince William, Duke of Cumberland; Prince Arthur, Duke of Connaught; Edward VIII, Gerald and Angela Lascelles (1953–1976) |
| Bentley Priory | London | Queen Adelaide (leased 1846/8–1849) |
| Berkhamsted Castle | Berkhamsted, Hertfordshire | William the Conqueror (1066); Henry I (1123); Edward, the Black Prince (1337); a number of Queens consort (1191–1400); last occupied 1469–1496 by Cecily Neville, Duchess of York |
| Surrey | Bought and sold in 1998 by the trustees representing Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie of York. Never occupied by the Princesses nor their mother, who claimed that financial difficulties prevented her from running the house (1998) | |
| Brantridge Park | Balcombe, West Sussex | Princess Alice, Countess of Athlone; Princess Beatrice of the United Kingdom (1919–1941) |
| Bridewell Palace | London | Henry VIII; Edward VI (1515–1523, owned until 1556) |
| Brill Palace | Brill, Buckinghamshire | Edward the Confessor; Harold Godwinson; William the Conqueror; William II; Henry I; Stephen; Henry II; John; Henry III; Edward I; Edward II; Edward III (c. 1042–1337; given to Sir John de Moleyns) |
| Bushy House | Teddington, London | William IV; the FitzClarences; Mrs Jordan; Queen Adelaide (1797–1849; still owned) |
| Cadzow Castle | South Lanarkshire, Scotland | Scottish crown (David I, Alexander II, Alexander III, John, Robert I); Mary, Queen of Scots (mid-early 12th century to early 14th century, early May 1568) |
| Caernarfon Castle | Caernarfon, Wales | Edward I (until 1283; still owned) |
| Kew | ||
| Cambridge House | Piccadilly, London | Official London residence of Prince Adolphus, Duke of Cambridge (1829–1850) |
| Carisbrooke Castle | Newport, Isle of Wight | Charles I; Princess Elizabeth; Henry Stuart, Duke of Gloucester and Princess Henrietta; Princess Beatrice of the United Kingdom (1647 – c. 1652, 1896–1944; now managed by English Heritage) |
| Carlton House | London | George IV (1783–1827; now Carlton House Terrace, still owned by the Crown Estate) |
| Castell y Bere | Llanfihangel-y-Pennant, Wales | Llywelyn the Great, Prince of Wales (until 1284) then Edward I |
| Castle Hill Lodge | Ealing | Used by Maria Anne Fitzherbert from October 1795 and George, Prince of Wales then bought by Edward, Duke of Kent (father of Queen Victoria) who spent £100,000 enhancing the house. His aide-de-camp General Sir Frederick Augustus Wetherall bought the house to rescue the Duchess from creditors following the Duke of Kent's death. The house was demolished in 1845 by General Sir George Augustus Wetherall.[dubious ] |
| Egham, Surrey | Leased by The Duke and Duchess of York (1987–1990) | |
| Chelsea Manor | London | Princess Elizabeth; Anne of Cleves (1536–1547, c. 1547–1557) |
| Chesterfield House | Westminster | London home of Princess Mary (1923–1937) – owned by the Estate of Harewood |
| Chevening | Kent | Owned by the Crown Estate and used as the official residence of the Foreign Secretary (since 1980) |
| Dorset | Rented by The Duke and Duchess of York (1986–1987) | |
| Chiswick House | Burlington Lane, Chiswick, London | Acquired by English Heritage, 1929 |
| Christ Church | Oxford | Charles I (1642–1649) |
| Claremont | Esher, Surrey | Princess Charlotte Augusta of Wales and Prince Leopold of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld; Prince Leopold, Duke of Albany and Princess Helena, Duchess of Albany (1816–1831; owned until 1865, 1882–1922)[clarification needed] |
| Clarendon Palace | Salisbury, Wiltshire | Used for hunting trips during the Middle Ages. Now ruined. |
| Cliveden | Buckinghamshire | George Sutherland-Leveson-Gower, 3rd Duke of Sutherland |
| Coombe Abbey | Warwickshire | Owned 16th century–?; Elizabeth of Bohemia (early 17th century) |
| Coppins | Buckinghamshire | Princess Victoria; Princes George and Edward, Dukes of Kent (1925–1973) |
| Criccieth Castle | Criccieth, Wales | Llywelyn the Great, Prince of Wales (until 1284) then Edward I |
| Crocker End House | Oxfordshire | Prince Edward, Duke of Kent (1990–?) |
| Crosby Hall | Chelsea, London | Richard, Duke of Gloucester (mid-late 15th century)[8] |
| Cumberland House | Pall Mall, London | Prince Edward, Duke of York; Prince Henry, Duke of Cumberland (c. 1760–1801; as York House until 1767) |
| Cumberland Lodge | Windsor Great Park | Princes William and Henry, Dukes of Cumberland; Anne, Duchess of Cumberland; Prince Augustus, Duke of Sussex; Princess Helena, Princess Christian of Schleswig-Holstein (1746–1803; 1830–1843; 1872–1923; still owned) |
| Dolbadarn Castle | Llanberis, Wales | Llywelyn the Great, Prince of Wales (and Princes of Wales until 1284) then Edward I |
| Dolwyddelan Castle | Dolwyddelan, Wales | Llywelyn the Great, Prince of Wales (until 1284) then Edward I |
| Dolphin Square | Embankment, London | The Princess Royal, at some point or other, but never owned |
| Doune Castle | Stirlingshire | Seat of the Duke of Albany (1380–1603) |
| Dover House | London | Prince Frederick, Duke of York (1788–1792) |
| Dublin Castle | Dublin, County Dublin, Republic of Ireland | Seat of Lords and Kings of Ireland (1171–1922) |
| Dunfermline Palace | Dunfermline, Fife | Seat of the King of Scots (1500–1650) |
| London | Princess Louise, Princess Royal (1889–1931) | |
| Eastwell Park | Kent | Prince Alfred, Duke of Edinburgh and Maria, Duchess of Edinburgh (rented 1874–1893) |
| Edinburgh Castle | Edinburgh | A residence of the Kings of Scots from the 11th to the 17th centuries, last used by Charles I in 1633 (now managed by Historic Scotland) |
| Eltham Palace | Kent | The Crown (Edward II to Henry VIII; now managed by English Heritage) |
| Falkland Palace | Falkland, Fife | Various, including Robert Stewart, Duke of Albany; David Stewart, Duke of Rothesay (The Scottish Crown 14th century –; now National Trust for Scotland) |
| Frogmore House | Windsor | Queen Charlotte and her then-unmarried daughters – Charlotte, Princess Royal, Princesses Princess Augusta, Elizabeth, Mary, Sophia, Amelia; Princess Augusta; Princess Victoria, Duchess of Kent (leased 1792–?) |
| Glamis Castle | Glamis, Angus | Residence of the Kings of Scots up to Robert II; much later, three rooms were let to George VI and Queen Elizabeth, The Queen Mother |
| Gloucester House | Weymouth | Summer residence of Prince William, Duke of Gloucester (later 18th century) |
| Gloucester House, London | Piccadilly, London | Prince William, Duke of Gloucester died here in 1805, as did his daughter-in-law Princess Mary, the last surviving child of George III, on 30 April 1857 |
| Brompton | ||
| Goldsborough Hall | North Yorkshire | Yorkshire home of Princess Mary (1923–1930) – owned by the Estate of Harewood |
| Gunnersbury Park | London | Summer retreat of Princess Amelia (1760–1786) |
| Hampton Court Palace | London | The Crown, since Henry VIII (1525), now a Historic Royal Palace) |
| Hanworth Manor | London | Henry VII; Henry VIII; Elizabeth I; also Anne Boleyn and Katherine Parr |
| Harewood House | West Yorkshire | Yorkshire home of Princess Mary (1930–1965) – owned by the Estate of Harewood |
| Hatfield House | Hertfordshire | The Crown (residents included Prince Edward and Princess Elizabeth; 16th century – 1607) |
| Havering Palace | Havering, Essex | c. 1050 – c. 1640 |
| Belgrave Square, London | ||
| Kennington, London | Built by Edward the Black Prince around 1350. Mostly dismantled around 1531 to provide materials for the Palace of Whitehall. | |
| Isle of Wight | Princess Louise, Duchess of Argyll (from 1901) | |
| Isle of Wight | Alejandro Combarro Martín | |
| Kew Palace | London | Frederick, Prince of Wales; George III; The Crown since (mid-18th century –; now a Historic Royal Palace) |
| Royston, Hertfordshire | Built by James I as a hunting lodge, it was also used by his son Charles I (1607–1649) | |
| Wentworth, Surrey | Leased by Sarah, Duchess of York (1994–1997) | |
| Kings Langley Palace | Hertfordshire | Used by the Plantagenet to Tudor Kings (1276–1558) |
| Lancaster House | London | |
| Leeds Castle | Kent | Edward I and Queen Eleanor of Castile (1278); Edward II and Isabella of France (1321); Henry VIII and Catherine of Aragon (1519) |
| Leicester House | Westminster | Frederick, Prince of Wales (c. 1730–1751) |
| Les Jolies Eaux | Mustique, St Vincent | Gift to Princess Margaret. Sold by her son Viscount Linley in 2000. |
| Linlithgow Palace | West Lothian | |
| Tower of London | London | Now a Historic Royal Palace |
| Marlborough House | London | Princess Mary, Duchess of Gloucester and Edinburgh; Queen Adelaide (1837–1849); Albert Edward, Prince of Wales and Alexandra, Princess of Wales (1863–1901); George, Prince of Wales and Mary, Princess of Wales (1901–1910). Occupied by Queen Mary 1945–1953. |
| The Castle of Mey | nr. John o' Groats | Queen Elizabeth, the Queen Mother (1952–2002) |
| Nether Lypiatt Manor | Stroud, Gloucestershire | Former country home of Prince and Princess Michael of Kent |
| Nonsuch Palace | London | Built by Henry VIII, later dismantled and sold-off by Barbara Palmer, 1st Duchess of Cleveland |
| Norfolk House | London | Frederick, Prince of Wales |
| Nottingham Cottage | Kensington Palace, London | |
| Sandhurst | ||
| Oatlands Palace | Weybridge, Surrey | Henry VIII; Edward VI; Mary I; Elizabeth I (and the Stuart line) |
| Oatlands Park | Weybridge, Surrey | |
| Isle of Wight | Princess Beatrice of the United Kingdom (1901–1912) | |
| Osborne House | Isle of Wight | Queen Victoria and Prince Albert (1846–1901). Queen Victoria died there on 22 January 1901. Bequeathed to her successor Edward VII, who gave it to the nation later that year. |
| Palace of Placentia | London | The Palace at Greenwich, acquired by Margaret of Anjou (consort to Henry VI), last used by Charles I |
| Queen Charlotte's Cottage | Kew | |
| Queen's House | Greenwich | Built in the Gardens of the Palace of Greenwich for Anne of Denmark, consort to James I |
| Ranger's House | Greenwich | |
| Ribsden Holt | Windlesham, Surrey | Princess Louise, Duchess of Argyll; Princess Patricia of Connaught |
| Richmond Palace | London | Also known as Palace of Sheen, Royal Residence 1327 to 1649, little remains |
| Wentworth Estate, Surrey | Leased by the Duchess of York 1992–1994 | |
| The Royal Pavilion, Brighton | Brighton, East Sussex | George IV; William IV; Victoria (1786–1838) |
| Sagana Lodge | Kenya | |
| Leicester Square, London | ||
| Savoy Palace | London | |
| Schomberg House | Pall Mall, London | Princess Helena (until 1923) and daughters Princess Helena Victoria and Princess Marie Louise (1920–1939)[9] |
| Somerset House | London | Queen Elizabeth I; Queen Henrietta Maria |
| Stirling Castle | Stirling | Kings of Scots |
| Sunninghill Park | Ascot, Windsor | Prince Andrew, Duke of York and family (c. 1990–2004) |
| Sussex House | Upper Mall, Hammersmith, London | Prince Augustus, Duke of Sussex |
| Theobalds Palace | Hertfordshire | The Crown. James I exchanged it by Act of Parliament with Lord Burleigh; Charles I also lived there; granted in 1 & 2 William and Mary to William, Duke of Portland |
| Walmer Castle | Walmer, Kent | |
| Westfield | Bonchurch, Isle of Wight | Built as hunting lodge for Queen Adelaide in 1825, now converted into apartments with most of gardens sold off |
| Palace of Westminster | London | Anglo-Saxon era – 1530 |
| Palace of Whitehall | London | 1530–1698 |
| White Lodge | Richmond | Princess Amelia of Great Britain; George III and Queen Charlotte; Princess Mary, Duchess of Gloucester and Edinburgh; Albert Edward, Prince of Wales; Princess Mary Adelaide of Cambridge and family; Prince Albert George, Duke of York and Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon (c. 1740–1923) |
| The King's House | Winchester | Proposed royal residence for Charles II |
| Windlesham Moor | Windsor | The Princess Elizabeth, Duchess of Edinburgh, Philip, Duke of Edinburgh (1947–4 July 1949[10]) |
| Witley Court | Worcestershire | |
| Woodstock Palace | Oxfordshire | |
| York Cottage | In the grounds of Sandringham House, Norfolk | Occupied by George V and his wife Queen Mary as Duke and Duchess of York. They retained use of the small cottage after their accession in 1910. It was later given to George V's son, Prince Albert, Duke of York and Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon. |
| York House, St James's Palace | London | Various royal residents |
See also[]
References[]
- ^ Jump up to: a b "Maintaining the Occupied Royal Palaces". Parliamentary website. Retrieved 2 April 2019.
- ^ "Royal Property". Parliamentary Debates (Hansard). 252. United Kingdom: House of Commons. 16 January 1995. col. 301W.
- ^ Jack, Malcolm. "ARREST OF MEMBERS AND SEARCHING OF OFFICES IN THE PARLIAMENTARY PRECINCTS" (PDF). Memorandum by the Clerk of the House. Parliament of the United Kingdom. Retrieved 23 August 2011.
- ^ Halsbury's Laws of England, volume 12(1): "Crown and Royal Family", paragraph 53
- ^ "Royal palace in Wales 'could bring £36m'". BBC News. 15 April 2018.
- ^ "Guide to Hillsborough Castle - GOV.UK". www.gov.uk.
- ^ Ward, Victoria (29 July 2013). "Duke and Duchess of Cambridge 'to move into country bolt-hole'". Archived from the original on 2 August 2013 – via www.telegraph.co.uk.
- ^ Royal Borough of Kensington & Chelsea – Interesting Places – Crosby Hall Archived 13 August 2007 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ Princess Marie Louise (née Princess of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Augustenberg), My Memories of Six Reigns London: Evans Brothers, 1956
- ^ Royal.gov.uk – 60 Facts, Fact 50 Archived 27 November 2007 at the Wayback Machine
External links[]
- Art and residences at the royal family website
Categories:
- Royal residences in the United Kingdom
- British monarchy-related lists
- Lists of buildings and structures in the United Kingdom
- Lists of royal residences
- Lists of palaces by country