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Current British Royal Residences
St. James' Palace
London
Although no longer used as a residence of the Sovereign, St James' Palace is the senior and official palace of the
British Monarchy. Used primarily for official functions and office space, it also contains the London residences of
The Princess Royal and Princess Alexandra, The Hon. Lady Ogilvy. Princess Beatrice of York has an apartment
here as well. The offices of Prince William and Prince Harry are based out of St James' Palace.
Wikipedia: St. James' Palace
British Monarchy: St. James' Palace
Buckingham Palace
London
Perhaps one of the most recognized buildings in the world, Buckingham Palace is the official London residence of
The Queen and Duke of Edinburgh, as well as the offices of the Monarchy. The Palace also contains the official
London residences and offices of The Duke of York and The Earl and Countess of Wessex, as well as the offices of
The Princess Royal and Princess Alexandra, The Hon. Lady Ogilvy.
Wikipedia: Buckingham Palace
British Monarchy: Buckingham Palace
Windsor Castle
Windsor
Windsor Castle is another of The Queen's official residences, and where she spends most weekends. Originally
built as a fortress by William the Conqueror, the Castle is considered the largest inhabited castle in the world, and
the oldest continually occupied. Within the Castle is St George's Chapel, the site of many royal weddings through
the years, and the home of the Most Noble Order of the Garter. It is here that the annual Garter Day service and
procession take place.
In the surrounding Home Park and Windsor Great Park are many current and former royal residences, including
Royal Lodge, Frogmore House, Cumberland Lodge, and Fort Belvedere (amongst others).
Wikipedia: Windsor Castle
British Monarchy: Windsor Castle
Wikipedia: St. George's Chapel
St George's Chapel
Wikipedia: Home Park, Windsor
Wikipedia: Windsor Great Park
Palace of Holyroodhouse
Edinburgh, Scotland
The Palace of Holyroodhouse is The Queen's official residence in Scotland, situated at one end of the Royal Mile, in
the 'Old Town' area of Edinburgh. The Queen traditionally spends a week in residence at the end of June. This was
the site of the first garden party, held by The Queen's grandparents, King George V and Queen Mary - a tradition that
continues to this day.
Wikipedia: Palace of Holyroodhouse
British Monarchy: Palace of Holyroodhouse
Hillsborough Castle
Northern Ireland
Hillsborough Castle is the official residence used by The Queen and Royal Family when visiting Northern Ireland,
although its primarily use is as the residence of the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland.
Wikipedia: Hillsborough Castle
Sandringham House
Norfolk
Originally purchased as a home for the future King Edward VII, Sandringham House remains one of the privately
owned homes of The Sovereign. The Queen traditionally spends the Christmas holiday here with the royal family,
and remains in residence until February, after the anniversary of her accession to the throne.
Within the grounds are several other residences, including:
York Cottage - formerly the home of the future King George V and Queen Mary, now primarily offices
Park House - birthplace of Diana, Princess of Wales, now operated as the Park House Hotel
Anmer Hall - formerly the country home of the current Duke of Kent
Wood Farm - often used for former spouses and other guests during the holidays
Wikipedia: Sandringham House
British Monarchy: Sandringham House
Official Website: Sandringham Estate
Balmoral Castle
Royal Deeside, Aberdeenshire, Scotland
Balmoral was originally purchased by Queen Victoria and remains the private property of The Sovereign. The Queen
traditionally spends August and September at Balmoral.
Wikipedia: Balmoral Castle
British Monarchy: Balmoral Castle
Official Website: Balmoral Castle
Clarence House
London
Clarence House is the official London residence of The Prince of Wales and Duchess of Cornwall, Prince William,
and Prince Harry. Located just east of Buckingham Palace, along The Mall, it is attached to St James' Palace.
Clarence House is most commonly associated with The Queen Mother, who lived here for nearly 50 years, until her
death in 2002.
Wikipedia: Clarence House
British Monarchy: Clarence House
Prince of Wales: Clarence House
Highgrove House
Gloucestershire
Owned by the Duchy of Cornwall, Highgrove House has been the country home of The Prince of Wales since 1981.
Wikipedia: Highgrove House
Prince of Wales: Highgrove
Llwynywermod
near Myddfai, Llandovery, Carmarthenshire, Wales
Owned by the Duchy of Cornwall, Llwynywermod has been the Welsh home of The Prince of Wales since 2008.
Wikipedia: Llwynywermod
Prince of Wales: Llwynywermod
Birkhall
near Royal Deeside, Aberdeenshire, Scotland
Located on The Queen's Balmoral Estate, Birkhall is the Scottish residence of The Prince of Wales. It was formerly
the home of The Queen Mother.
Wikipedia: Birkhall
Prince of Wales: Birkhall
Royal Lodge
Windsor Great Park, Windsor
Located in Windsor Great Park, Royal Lodge is the official residence of The Duke of York, leased from the Crown
Estate. It had been, for over 70 years, the private residence of The Queen Mother. Within the grounds is a small
cottage, Y Bwthyn Bach, which was a gift to the then Princess Elizabeth in 1932 from the people of Wales. (visible
in the photo above, at the bottom, center.)
Bagshot Park
Bagshot, Surrey
Leased from the Crown Estate, Bagshot Park is the official residence of The Earl and Countess of Wessex.
Wikipedia: Bagshot Park
Bagshot Village
Gatcombe Park
Gloucestershire
Gatcombe Park is the privately owned residence of The Princess Royal and her husband, Vice-Admiral Tim Laurence.
Originally purchased by The Queen as a wedding gift for her daughter, the property was later expanded to include the
neighboring Aston Farm. After divorcing, Princess Anne retained Gatcombe Park while her first husband, Mark Phillips,
retained the Aston Farm estate where he still lives. Gatcombe Park is the site of several equestrian events througout
the year.
Kensington Palace
London
Kensington Palace, just west of Buckingham Palace is the London home of several members of the Royal Family. The newest residents are the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge who live at Nottingham Cottage, on the grounds of the Palace. Other residents are the Duke and Duchess of Kent, the Duke and Duchess of Gloucester, and Prince and Princess Michael of Kent. Recent former residents include Diana Princess of Wales and The Princess Margaret.
Formerly the official residence of the monarch, the last Sovereign to live here was George II. It was at Kensington Palace in 1837 that the young Princess Victoria learned that she had become Queen, at which point she moved to Buckingham Palace.
It was announced in November 2011 that the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge will move from Nottingham Cottage to Apartment 1A (Princess Margaret's former apartment) some time in 2013. It has been suggested that Prince Harry will move to Nottingham Cottage at that time.
Wikipedia: Kensington Palace
British Monarchy: Kensington Palace
Historic Royal Palaces: Kensington Palace
Thatched House Lodge
Richmond upon Thames
Thatched House Lodge is the private residence of the Queen's cousin, Princess Alexandra, The Honourable Lady Ogilvy. It is leased from the Crown Estate.
Wikipedia: Thatched House Lodge