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British royal residences are palaces, castles and houses which are occupied by members of theBritish royal family in theUnited Kingdom. The current residences are owned bythe Crown, by theDuchy of Cornwall, and privately by members of the royal family; all the official residences are owned by the Crown.[1][2] Some official residences, such as thePalace of Holyroodhouse andHillsborough Castle, serve primarily ceremonial functions and are rarely used residentially.
The occupied royal residences are cared for and maintained by the Property Section of theRoyal Households of the United Kingdom.[1] Public opening is overseen by theRoyal Collection Trust.[3] The unoccupied royal palaces of England, along with Hillsborough Castle, are the responsibility ofHistoric Royal Palaces.
Unlike the othernations of the United Kingdom, there is no official residence for a member of the royal family inWales.[4]
Red: Used by theKing andQueen
Blue: Used by thePrince andPrincess of Wales
Green: Used by other members of the royal family Red: Used by theKing andQueen Blue: Used by thePrince andPrincess of Wales Green: Used by other members of the royal family| Residence | Location | Ownership | Residents | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Buckingham Palace | London, England | The Crown | TheKing andQueen | Charles III and Queen Camilla use Buckingham Palace for official business but do not reside there.[5] |
| Clarence House | Grace and favour Clarence House is the current London residence for the King and Queen | |||
| Kensington Palace | Also in part aHistoric Royal Palace, otherwise,grace and favour | |||
| St James's Palace | Grace and favour | |||
| Windsor Castle | Windsor, Berkshire, England | TheKing andQueen | Official country residence | |
| Holyrood Palace | Edinburgh, Scotland | Used whenever the royal family undertake official duties in Scotland: primarily 'Royal Week' in July | ||
| Hillsborough Castle | County Down, Northern Ireland | Used whenever the royal family undertake official duties in Northern Ireland. Also, aHistoric Royal Palace.[6] |
| Residence | Location | Ownership | Residents | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ivy Cottage | Kensington Palace, London | The Crown | Princess Eugenie andJack Brooksbank | Current residence, leased from theCrown Estate |
| Wren House | TheDuke of Kent | Official London residence, also aHistoric Royal Palace,grace and favour | ||
| Thatched House Lodge | Richmond, London | Princess Alexandra, The Honourable Lady Ogilvy | Official country residence, leased from theCrown Estate |
| Residence | Location | Type | Residents | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Forest Lodge | Windsor Estate, Berkshire, England | The Crown | ThePrince andPrincess of Wales | Leased from theCrown Estate |
| Bagshot Park | Bagshot, England | TheDuke andDuchess of Edinburgh |
| Residence | Location | Type | Residents | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Balmoral Castle | Aberdeenshire, Scotland | Private | TheKing andQueen | August and September, inherited fromElizabeth II. |
| Birkhall | Balmoral Estate, Aberdeenshire, Scotland | Previously owned byQueen Elizabeth the Queen Mother; located on the estate of Balmoral Castle. Charles inherited the home when his grandmother died in 2002. | ||
| Craigowan Lodge | Inherited fromElizabeth II. | |||
| Tam-Na-Ghar | ThePrince andPrincess of Wales | Previously owned by Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother; located on the estate of Balmoral Castle. William inherited the home shortly before his great-grandmother's death. |
| Residence | Location | Type | Residents | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sandringham House | Sandringham, Norfolk, England | Private | TheKing andQueen | Christmas until February, inherited fromElizabeth II |
| Anmer Hall | Sandringham Estate, Norfolk, England | ThePrince andPrincess of Wales | Located on the grounds of Sandringham House. Wedding gift fromElizabeth II to Prince William and Catherine[7] | |
| Wood Farm | Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor | Moved in 2026[8] | ||
| Highgrove House | Gloucestershire, England | Duchy of Cornwall | TheKing andQueen | Control of the house was transferred to William, Prince of Wales, when he inherited the Duchy of Cornwall.[9] |
| Gatcombe Park | Minchinhampton, England | Private | ThePrincess Royal | |
| Name Unknown | Cotswolds, England | Princess Beatrice andEdoardo Mapelli Mozzi | Purchased in 2021[10] |
| Residence | Location | Type | Residents | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Name Unknown | Comporta, Portugal | Private | Princess Eugenie andJack Brooksbank | Purchased in 2022[11] |
| Chateau of Riven Rock | Montecito, California, USA | TheDuke andDuchess of Sussex | Purchased in 2020[12] |
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| Residence | Location | Royals and Dates |
|---|---|---|
| 145 Piccadilly | Piccadilly | Prince Albert, Duke of York andElizabeth, Duchess of York andPrincess Elizabeth andPrincess Margaret of York (1926–1936) |
| Albany House / The Albany | Prince Frederick, Duke of York and Albany (1791–1802) | |
| 15Portman Square | Marylebone | Leased byAlexander Duff, 1st Duke of Fife in the weeks prior to his marriage toPrincess Louise of Wales. London residence of Princess Louise from 1889 until her death in 1931. |
| 3 Belgrave Square | Belgravia, London | London home ofPrince George, Duke of Kent and his wifePrincess Marina following their marriage in 1934 until the outbreak of World War II. Birthplace of their sonPrince Edward, Duke of Kent and daughterPrincess Alexandra of Kent.[13][14] |
| 32 Green Street | Mayfair, London | Owned byHugh Grosvenor, 2nd Duke of Westminster, in 1931Queen Mary (consort ofGeorge V) suggested the house should be available as a royal residence for her daughterMary, Princess Royal and son-in-lawHenry Lascelles, 6th Earl of Harewood. The Princess and Earl lived at the house until the outbreak ofWorld War II, and the house was sold back to the Grosvenor Estate in 1946. |
| 41 Belgrave Square | Belgravia, London | 41 Belgrave Square was the London residence ofPrince Arthur of Connaught and his wifePrincess Alexandra, 2nd Duchess of Fife from c. 1920[15] until Prince Arthur's death in 1938.[16] The House was later sold in 1939.[17] |
| 54 Mount Street | Mayfair, London | London residence ofPrince Arthur of Connaught andPrincess Alexandra, 2nd Duchess of Fife following their marriage in 1913 until September 1916.[18] |
| 8 South Audley Street ("Cambridge House" until 1830) | South Audley Street, Mayfair, London | Caroline of Brunswick (c. 1820 – 1821),Prince Adolphus, Duke of Cambridge (c. 1819 – 1830),Prince Frederick, Duke of York and Albany (1826) |
| Bentley Priory | Borough of Harrow | Queen Adelaide (leased 1846/8–1849) |
| Bridewell Palace | City of London | Henry VIII;Edward VI (1515–1523, owned until 1556) |
| Bushy House | Teddington | William IV;the FitzClarences,Dorothea Jordan,Adelaide of Saxe-Meiningen (1797–1849; still owned) |
| Cambridge House | Piccadilly | Official London residence ofPrince Adolphus, Duke of Cambridge (1829–1850) |
| Cambridge Cottage | Kew | |
| Carlton House | Westminster | George IV (1783–1827; demolished andCarlton House Terrace constructed on the site, owned by theCrown Estate) |
| Castle Hill Lodge | Ealing | Used byMaria Anne Fitzherbert from October 1795 andGeorge, Prince of Wales; then, bought byPrince Edward, Duke of Kent (father ofQueen Victoria), who spent £100,000 enhancing the house (£9.62 million in 2023).[19] His aide-de-camp, General SirFrederick 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 SirGeorge Augustus Wetherall. |
| Chelsea Manor | Chelsea | Princess Elizabeth;Anne of Cleves (1536–1547, c. 1547–1557) |
| Chesterfield House | Westminster | London home ofPrincess Mary (1923–1932) – purchased byHenry Lascelles, 6th Earl of Harewood in 1919, vacated by the couple in late 1931 and sold in 1934. |
| Crosby Hall | Chelsea | Richard, Duke of Gloucester (mid–late 15th century)[20] |
| Cumberland House | Pall Mall | Prince Edward, Duke of York and Albany (c. 1761 – 1767, during which time the building was known as "York House"), andPrince Henry, Duke of Cumberland |
| Dolphin Square | Embankment | Anne, Princess Royal rented a flat here |
| Dover House | Whitehall | Prince Frederick, Duke of York (1788–1792) |
| East Sheen Lodge | Richmond upon-Thames | Princess Louise, Princess Royal (1889–1908) |
| Gloucester House, Mayfair | Piccadilly | Prince William, Duke of Gloucester died here in 1805, as did his daughter-in-lawPrincess Mary, the last surviving child of George III, on 30 April 1857 |
| Gunnersbury Park | Borough of Hounslow | Summer retreat ofPrincess Amelia (1760–1786) |
| Hampton Court Palace | Richmond-upon-Thames | The Crown, sinceHenry VIII (1525), now managed byHistoric Royal Palace agency |
| Hanworth Manor | Borough of Hounslow | Henry VII;Henry VIII;Elizabeth I; alsoAnne Boleyn andKatherine Parr |
| Kensington Palace | Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea, London | Built forWilliam III andMary II during the late 17th century. Occupied by subsequent monarchsAnne,George I, andGeorge II. Divided into various residences and apartments from the reign ofGeorge III. Apartment 1: Encompasses parts of the Palace currently known asApartment 1 andApartment 1A. Occupants includePrince Augustus Frederick, Duke of Sussex from 1805 to 1843, and then by his morganatic widowCecilia Underwood, Duchess of Inverness until 1873. Occupied byPrincess Louise, Duchess of Argyll from c. 1874 to 1939. Separated from Apartment 1A in the mid-1950s, occupants of the reduced Apartment 1 have includedPrincess Marina, Duchess of Kent from c. 1955 until her death in 1968. Home ofPrince Henry, Duke of Gloucester from 1969 until his death in 1974, and then by his widowPrincess Alice, Duchess of Gloucester until her death in 2004. Subsequently used by their sonPrince Richard, Duke of Gloucester and his family until 2019. Apartment 1A: Divided from Apartment 1 during the mid-1950s. Occupants includePrincess Margaret, Countess of Snowdon from 1963 until her death in 2002. Used as the official London residence ofWilliam, Prince of Wales,Catherine, Princess of Wales and their children since 2012. Apartment 2: Encompasses part of the State Rooms and floors below, created as an apartment forPrince Edward, Duke of Kent and Strathearn in 1898, and birthplace of his only childQueen Victoria in 1819. Follow his death in 1820 Apartment 2 was occupied by his widowVictoria, Duchess of Kent until her daughters accession in 1837. Granted to the Queen's cousinPrincess Mary Adelaide, Duchess of Teck in 1867, who lived their with her family (including her daughter, future queen consortMary of Teck) until 1883. London residence ofPrincess Beatrice of the United Kingdom from c. 1896 until her death in 1944. Apartment 4: Granted toHelen, Dowager Duchess of Albany in 1917. Following her death in 1922, granted to her daughterPrincess Alice, Countess of Athlone until her own death in 1981. Apartments 6 & 7: Apartment 7 was granted to Queen Victoria's granddaughterVictoria, Marchioness of Milford Haven in 1922. Apartment 6 was merged with this Apartment in 1925. Lived in by her grandsonPrince Philip of Greece and Denmark when in London prior to his marriage toThe Princess Elizabeth in 1947. Following Lady Milford Haven's death in 1950, Apartment 7 was granted toQueen Mary's nieceMary, Duchess of Beaufort and her husband, the-thenMaster of the HorseHenry Somerset, 10th Duke of Beaufort until c. 1979. Apartment 8: Granted toLady Patricia Ramsay (formerly Princess Patricia of Connaught) in 1939, vacated after bombing damage in 1940. Combined with Apartment 9 and used as the official London residence ofCharles, Prince of Wales andDiana, Princess of Wales from 1981, occupied by Diana after their separation in 1992 until her death in 1997. Apartment 10: Granted to Queen Victoria's grandsonAlexander Mountbatten, 1st Marquess of Carisbrooke from 1956 until his death in 1960. Occupied byPrincess Margaret, Countess of Snowdon and her husbandAntony Armstrong-Jones, Earl of Snowdon following their marriage in 1960 whilst renovations were underway at the larger Apartment 1A. Vacated by the Snowdons in 1963, used as the London residence ofPrince Michael of Kent since 1978. |
| Kennington Palace | Kennington | Built byEdward the Black Prince around 1350. Demolished c.1531 to provide materials for thePalace of Whitehall. |
| Kew Palace | Kew | Frederick, Prince of Wales;George III; The Crown since mid-18th century; managed by Historic Royal Palaces |
| Lancaster House | Westminster | |
| Leicester House | Frederick, Prince of Wales (c. 1730–1751) | |
| Tower of London | City of London | Now managed byHistoric Royal Palaces |
| Marlborough House | Westminster | Princess Mary, Duchess of Gloucester and Edinburgh;Queen Adelaide (1837–1849);Albert Edward, Prince of Wales andAlexandra, Princess of Wales (1863–1901);George, Prince of Wales andMary, Princess of Wales (1901–1910). Occupied byQueen Mary 1945–1953. |
| Nonsuch Palace | Built by Henry VIII, later dismantled and sold-off byBarbara Palmer, 1st Duchess of Cleveland | |
| Norfolk House | Frederick, Prince of Wales | |
| Nottingham Cottage | grounds of Kensington Palace | |
| Palace of Placentia | The Palace at Greenwich, acquired byMargaret of Anjou (consort toHenry VI). Demolished and rebuilt forCharles II in 1664 (King Charles Wing).Given by Queen Mary to Trustees for the Royal Hospital for Seamen (now referred to as the Old Royal Naval College) who have leased it to Trinity Laban University. | |
| Queen's House | Greenwich | Built in the Gardens of the Palace of Greenwich for Anne of Denmark, consort toJames I a small part of a proposed rebuilding of Greenwich (Placentia) Palace. Given by Queen Mary to Trustees for the Royal Hospital for Seamen (now referred to as the Old Royal Naval College). Part of the National Maritime Museum. |
| Richmond Palace | Also known as Palace of Sheen, Royal residence 1327 to 1649. A few above ground remains survive in Palace Yard, Richmond | |
| Savile House | Leicester Square | |
| Savoy Palace | ||
| Schomberg House | Pall Mall | Princess Helena (until 1923) and daughtersPrincess Helena Victoria andPrincess Marie Louise (1920–1939)[21] |
| Somerset House | Elizabeth I;Queen Henrietta Maria | |
| Sussex House | Upper Mall, Hammersmith | Prince Augustus, Duke of Sussex |
| Palace of Westminster | Anglo-Saxon era – 1530 | |
| Palace of Whitehall | 1530–1698 | |
| White Lodge | Richmond | Princess Amelia of Great Britain;George III andQueen Charlotte;Princess Mary, Duchess of Gloucester and Edinburgh;Albert Edward, Prince of Wales;Princess Mary Adelaide of Cambridge and family;Prince Albert, Duke of York andElizabeth Bowes-Lyon (c. 1740–1923) |
| York House,St James's Palace | Caroline of Brunswick in 1795, prior to her marriage tothe Prince of Wales. London residence ofErnest Augustus, Duke of Cumberland (later King Ernest Augustus I of Hanover) from c. 1800 until his death in 1851. Granted to the widowedAugusta, Duchess of Cambridge in 1852 until her death in 1889. Official London residence ofPrince George, Duke of York (later George V) andMary of Teck from 1893 until 1902. Granted toEdward, Prince of Wales (later Edward VIII) in 1919. After theAbdication of King Edward VIII, York House became the London residence ofPrince Henry, Duke of Gloucester and his family from c. 1937 until 1969. Later occupants includePrince Edward, Duke of Kent andCharles, Prince of Wales. |
| Residence | Location | Royals and Dates |
|---|---|---|
| Bodorgan Hall | Bodorgan,Anglesey,Wales | Prince William andCatherine lived in a four-bedroom cottage on the Bodorgan Hall estate from 2010 to 2013. Their sonPrince George (b. July 2013) spent his first months on the estate.[23][24] |
| Caernarfon Castle | Caernarfon, Wales | Edward I (until 1283; still owned) |
| Castell y Bere | Llanfihangel-y-Pennant,Wales | Llywelyn the Great, Prince of Wales (until 1284) thenEdward I |
| Criccieth Castle | Criccieth, Wales | |
| Dolbadarn Castle | Llanberis,Wales | Llywelyn the Great, Prince of Wales (and Princes of Wales until 1284) thenEdward I |
| Dolwyddelan Castle | Dolwyddelan,Wales | Llywelyn the Great, Prince of Wales (until 1284) thenEdward I |
| Llwynywermod | Myddfai, Wales | Former country residence ofCharles, Prince of Wales |
| Residence | Location | Royals and Dates |
|---|---|---|
| Villa Windsor | Paris,France | The Duke andDuchess of Windsor (1937–1986) |
| Dublin Castle | Dublin, Republic of Ireland | Seat ofLords andKings of Ireland (1171–1922) |
| E.P. Ranch | Pekisko, Alberta, Canada | Edward VIII (1919–1962) |
| Les Jolies Eaux | Mustique, St Vincent | Gift toPrincess Margaret. Sold by her sonViscount Linley in 2000. |
| Les Bruyeres | Cap Ferrat, France | Owned byPrince Arthur, Duke of Connaught and Strathearn (1921–1942) |
| Sagana Lodge | Kenya | |
| Verdala Palace | Siġġiewi,Malta | |
| San Anton Palace | Attard,Malta | |
| Grandmaster's Palace | Valletta,Malta | |
| Villa Guardamangia | Pietà,Malta |
