Where do the Royal Family actually live?

Which members of the royal family live in which castles? We take a look at the homes of King Charles and his family. 

We hear mention of different castles throughout the year, but who lives where, and which royals spend the majority of their time in which castles?

King Charles & Queen Camilla

Clarence House

Since their wedding in 2005, Charles and Camilla spend the majority of their time at Clarence House in London. The house was originally built in 1825 and was home to the late Queen Mother before her death in 2002. Charles renovated the house before moving in. 

Highgrove House

Charles bought Highgrove House in Gloucestershire in 1980 and has spent time there ever since.

Prince William & Kate, Prince and Princess of Wales

The Prince and Princess of Wales and their three children live in Kensington Palace, in apartment 1A. According to Vogue, the 20-room, four-story apartment underwent a $1.6 million renovation prior to the pair's 2013 move, and an additional $4.9 million revamp took place the following year, the palace confirmed to People at the time.

While the interiors have been kept private, during a 2016 visit by Barack and Michelle Obama, we got a sneak peek inside and it was no shock to learn the interiors are soft, welcoming, and subtle. 

The late Queen Elizabeth

Buckingham Palace

The Queen spent the majority of her time living in private quarters in Buckingham Palace, located in central London. The palace is made up of 775 rooms and is currently being refurbished, bit by bit. 

Windsor Castle

The Queen also spent weekends and Easter at Windsor Castle, which is located in Berkshire. Spanning more than 13 acres with over 1,000 rooms, the property is the largest occupied castle in the world and has been a royal residence for more than 900 years.

Balmoral Castle

Balmoral Castle was originally purchased as a holiday home by Queen Victoria and sits on 50,000 acres with 150 buildings. Queen Elizabeth II spent a large portion of her summer at the castle, which is in Scotland, receiving members of her family throughout her stay. While minor renovations have been made, for the most part, Balmoral remains the same as it did when Victoria and Albert owned it. Balmoral is also where Queen Elizabeth passed away peacefully on September 9, 2022.

The Palace of Holyroodhouse

During Royal Week each year, the Queen would head to Scotland and stays at the Palace of Holyroodhouse. 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

The royal family head to Sandringham each year for Christmas. Located in Norfolk, the Queen inherited the estate from her father, George VI.

* Originally published in Sep 2019. Updated in 2023.