Queen Elizabeth loved to spend the summer at Balmoral and Christmas at Sandringham. Here’s a historic rundown of the residences that were part of her life, and the royal family, including some that you might not have heard of…
The Queen passed away at Balmoral, widely known to be one of her favourite homes and the place she spent her summer breaks. Like Buckingham Palace and Windsor Castle, it's a well-known (and visited) royal residence. However, there are a number of lesser-known properties throughout the United Kingdom that even the most loyal royal followers may not be aware of. Not all are still owned by the monarchy, but they recall the history of the royal family.
The most well-known and visited, Buckingham Palace has remained the official London residence of the United Kingdom's monarchs since 1837. Designed in a Neoclassical style, the palace has a total of 775 rooms, including 188 staff bedrooms, 92 offices, 78 bathrooms, 52 royal and guest bedrooms, and 19 state rooms.
This London palace was the former residence of the monarchs of England until the reign of Queen Victoria. St James's Palace holds an important role in the monarchy as it is the place where the Garter King of Arms formally announces the accession of the new king or queen from the palace’s Proclamation Gallery after the death of a monarch.
Until now, King Charles III and the Queen Consort have used Clarence house as their official London residence. Built in 1825 and 1827, Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip lived in this townhouse after their marriage in 1947. It was also the London home of the Queen Mother from 1953 until 2002. Prince William and Prince Harry also lived here until moving into their own private residences at Kensington Palace.
The birthplace and childhood home of Queen Victoria, the 547-room palace is the London home and office to a number of royals, including the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge. Since the middle of 2017, Apartment 1A has been the main residence for Prince William and Kate Middleton's family, which has four floors and 20 rooms. Kensington Palace was also the former home of Princess Diana.
These smaller properties in the grounds of Kensington Palace have been popular homes within the royal family for years. Nottingham Cottage was the former home of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle before they moved into Frogmore Cottage in 2019. Prince William and Kate Middleton also resided in the cottage before moving into Apartment 1A. Ivy Cottage is currently the first home of Princess Eugenie and her husband Jack Brooksbank, and Prince Edward and his family live at Wren House.
For over 900 years, the Crown-owned Windsor Castle has acted as both a private home and an official royal residence. Inside the property is the famous St. George’s Chapel, the location where Prince Harry and Meghan Markle married in May 2018 and Princess Eugenie and Jack Brooksbanks married in October 2018. Queen Elizabeth and Prince Phillip spent much of their time during the pandemic at Windsor Castle.
Part of the Windsor Estate, Fort Belvedere was built in the Gothic Revival style by English architect Jeffry Wyatville in the 1820s. Most famously, the manor house served as the royal residence for Edward VIII, the Duke of Windsor, between 1929 and 1936. During his stay, the then-Prince renovated many of the rooms to include more contemporary details, and added horse stables, a swimming pool, and tennis courts. It was there that Edward signed his written abdication notice, stripping him from his royal title and his home.
Located in Aberdeenshire, Scotland, Balmoral sits in 50,000 acres with 150 buildings. Queen Victoria and Prince Albert originally purchased the castle in 1852, and it was one of Queen Elizabeth’s favourite places and where she spent the last weeks of her life.
A part of the Balmoral Castle estate, Birkhall was acquired by Prince Albert in 1849 and given to his eldest son, Edward. It is the former home of the Queen Mother and was passed to Prince Charles (as he was then known) upon her death in 2002. Charles spent his second honeymoon at Birkhall in 2005 with Camilla. In 2011, the then Duke of Cambrige and his wife celebrated Hogmanay at Birkhall.
Technically on the grounds of the Balmoral estate, Craigowan Lodge is a rustic stone cottage about a mile from the main castle. Charles and Diana would often opt to stay in the seven-bedroom house during their visits to the Scottish countryside.
This 19,000-acre estate is a private residence of the royal family in Norfolk, England. Queen Elizabeth inherited the property in 1952, with Prince Philip taking charge of the home’s management and upkeep. The royal family usually celebrate Christmas at Sandringham House and attend religious services at the Church of St. Mary Magdalene, which is located in the grounds.
As depicted in the first season of The Crown on Netflix, The Queen Mother purchased deteriorating Barrogill Castle in 1952 after seeing it on her visit with Commander and Lady Doris Vyner. After extensive renovations of the castle and gardens in 1955, Her Majesty made the decision to restore the structure's original name, The Castle of Mey. Today, the property is under the stewardship of The Prince's Foundation, which recently opened The Granary Lodge Bed & Breakfast in the grounds.
The former seat of the Tudor dynasty dates back to 1514 when Cardinal Thomas Wolsey, King Henry VIII’s Lord Chancellor, started laying the foundation for a palace in London. It was so grand that the King eventually took the Hampton Court Palace for himself and added a hotel, theatre, and leisure complex to the grounds. Later, when King William III and Queen Mary II took the throne, the royal couple appointed Sir Christopher Wren to expand the palace and landscape architect Capability Brown to tend to the gardens. The palace and its grounds were opened to the public as a museum in 1838 by Queen Victoria and have operated under the Crown since.
The original structure on the grounds of the Royal Palace of Hatfield was the childhood home and favourite residence of Queen Elizabeth I. After the accession of King James I to the throne, he decided to give the palace to Elizabeth's chief minister, Robert Cecil, 1st Earl of Salisbury, who built the breathtaking Jacobean home that is now on the property. Only parts of the original palace still remain on the grounds.
In 1540, King Henry VII gifted Barnwell Manor to the Montagu family for being loyal supporters of the Crown. It remained with them until the early 1900s when a series of tenants stayed at the Manor in Northamptonshire for short periods. It came back into the ownership of the royal family in 1938 when Prince Henry, Duke of Gloucester, bought the estate. While the Gloucesters no longer live at the 30-bedroom home, they have leased it out to Windsor House Antiques.
This property dates back to 1754, when William Crichton-Dalrymple sketched out plans for a Palladian-style home with lavish interiors filled with colourful and handcrafted Chippendale furniture. Regarded as one of the most significant properties within the Commonwealth, shockwaves ran through Great Britain when news hit it was in the verge of sale, propelling Prince Charles and one of his foundations to raise funds to save the Dumfries. Today, the stately home is open for people to explore its original 18th century furnishings and incredible interiors.
Originally built for the garden keepers of Richmond Park, the Thatched House Lodge served as a grace-and-favour residence for the royal household until 1927. High political figures such Wing Commander Sir Louis Greig and even President Dwight D. Eisenhower stayed in the home in the following years but, eventually, it would become the permanent residence of Sir Angus Ogilvy and Princess Alexandra in 1963. Alexandra, Queen Elizabeth's cousin, lives quietly within the six-bedroom home and often spends her time tending to the horses in the property’s stables.
Famously known as the location of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s evening wedding reception, Frogmore House has been a Crown-owned official residence in Home Park since 1792. The estate was originally bought by George III as a gift for his wife, Queen Charlotte, and has remained in the royal family ever since. While the house has been unoccupied since 1872, the royal family often host private and official events at the residence.
The former home of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, Frogmore Cottage shares the same grounds as Frogmore House. The cottage was built in 1801 under the direction of Queen Charlotte. The home is only a half mile away from Windsor Castle, where Prince Harry and Meghan Markle were married.
Three miles south of Windsor Castle, The Royal Lodge was the long-time country home of King George VI and Queen Elizabeth. The Queen Mother continued to use the lodge as one of her country retreats until her death in 2002. After extensive renovations, Prince Andrew, Duke of York, moved into the 30-room home in 2004 and continues to live there with his ex-wife Sarah Ferguson.
How Princess Catherine decorates her home
Where do Kate and William live? Inside Forest Lodge
Where does King Charles III live?
Why lily of the valley is so symbolic
