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All the palaces and houses that the royal family live in

Your guide to the castles that Prince Charles, Prince William and the rest of the royal family call home

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By House & Garden | September 9, 2022 | Interiors

Anglophiles around the world tuned in to watch the royal weddings at Windsor Castle in 2018, and saw baby Archie’s birth announcement placed outside of Buckingham Palace in May. But since the recent news of Queen Elizabeth II and her passing, where do the rest of the royal family actually live?

Unsurprisingly, their abodes are quite luxurious, and many members of the clan have more than one palatial residence that they call home. From lesser-known private houses to the most famous of Crown-owned castles, here are their historically significant living quarters.

Buckingham Palace, Image: House and Garden UK

The Queen & Prince Philip

Buckingham Palace

Why have just one home fit for a queen? Queen Elizabeth II and her husband, Prince Philip, had multiple lavish residences that they retreated to at different points throughout the year. During the week, they typically stayed in private quarters at the famous 775-room Buckingham Palace in London.

Windsor Castle, Image: House and Garden UK

Windsor Castle

On weekends, and for a month around Easter, they headed to Windsor Castle in Berkshire, which has been a royal home for more than 900 years. Spanning more than 13 acres with over 1,000 rooms, the property is the largest occupied castle in the world.

Balmoral Castle, Image: House and Garden UK

Balmoral

The duo also spent a portion of their summer at Balmoral Castle in Scotland. The private residence, originally purchased by Queen Victoria, reportedly sits on 50,000 acres with 150 total buildings. While the home remains largely the same as it did in Victoria’s possession, the current monarch has made slight renovations in recent years.

Holyrood Palace in Scotland

Holyrood Palace

Also in Scotland is the Palace of Holyroodhouse, where the Queen stayed during Royal Week each year. It was built as a monastery in 1128, and renovations in the 1670s contributed to the successful maintenance of the palace today, largely thanks to Charles II, who built the upper floor where the royal family’s private apartments are now situated.

Sandringham estate, Image: House and Garden UK

Sandringham

At Christmastime, the Queen, the Duke of Edinburgh, and other members of the royal family famously head to Sandringham estate in Norfolk, which Elizabeth inherited from her father, George VI.

Hillsborough Castle, Image: House and Garden UK

Hillsborough

Finally, when the Queen travelled to Ireland, she resided at Hillsborough Castle, which was built in the 1770s and is surrounded by 100 acres of greenery.

Kensington Palace, Image: House and Garden UK

The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge

Kensington Palace

The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge and their three children, Prince George, Princess Charlotte, and Prince Louis, reside in Kensington Palace Apartment 1A.

Inside Kensington Palace, Image: House and Garden UK

While William and Kate keep the general details of their main home private, the world got a glimpse of one of the reception rooms in 2016, following a visit from Barack and Michelle Obama. In the photos, the group sits in a stunning neutral-coloured room featuring floral pillows and an abundance of lamps.

Kensington Palace entrance, Image: House and Garden UK

While it’s no shock that the couple has great taste when it comes to decor, many were surprised to learn that they chose to adorn their children’s rooms with Ikea furniture.

Frogmore Cottage, Image: House and Garden UK

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex

Following their engagement announcement in 2017, the former Suits star moved into Prince Harry's home, Nottingham Cottage at Kensington Palace. The Duke and Duchess of Sussex remained in the 1,300-square-foot two-bedroom home (once inhabited by William and Kate) until shortly before the 2019 birth of their son, Archie. When it came time to relocate, the pair decided to head back to the site of their wedding, Windsor Castle, and live on the grounds’ Frogmore Cottage.

The home, which was a wedding gift from the Queen, wasn’t quite ready for the family of three, and turning the five-unit property into a single-family house required a renovation that cost more than £2.4 million. The cottage, originally constructed in the 1800s, now has 10 bedrooms, a nursery, a gym, and a yoga studio. While the renovation was paid for with public funds, the couple purchased their own furniture and decor out of pocket. As they waited for the renovations to be complete, the pair also reportedly rented a temporary home on the Great Tew Estate in the Cotswolds.

Clarence House, Image: House and Garden UK

The Duke and Duchess of Cornwall

Clarence House

The Prince of Wales and the Duchess of Cornwall have mainly resided at Clarence House in London since their wedding in 2005. The property, built between 1825 and 1827, was once home to Charles's grandmother, the late Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother (affectionately known as the Queen Mum). Prior to the couple moving in, the home underwent extensive renovations and was refurbished with new artwork, textiles, and a new color scheme.

Highgrove House, Image: House and Garden UK

Highgrove House

The pair call Highgrove House in Gloucestershire their second home. Prince Charles has owned this house since 1980, and he previously spent weekends there with his first wife, the late Princess Diana, and their children, Princes William and Harry. Today, Charles enjoys tending to the gardens at the home, and ensures his concern for the environment is apparent in the management of the property by using energy-saving lightbulbs and solar lights, and instructing the staff to compost kitchen waste.

This article originally appeared on House and Garden UK