Ahead of King Charles’ coronation, scheduled to take place at Westminster Abbey on Saturday, May 6, 2023, various outlets have anticipated where he and Camilla, Queen Consort will live. As it stands, Clarence House, which the royal couple (formerly known as the Duke and Duchess of Cornwall) moved into in 2003, remains their primary residence.
But the monarch, of course, owns many homes, including Balmoral Castle in Scotland and Sandringham House in Norfolk, which he inherited from Her Majesty The Queen following her death on September 8, 2022.
From relatively modest cottages, including Llwynywermod, to grand royal residences such as Hillsborough Castle, the King has several homes under his possession now. And considering the expansive crown estate is understood to be worth £15.6bn, we’re honing in on King Charles’ key homes to know ahead of the spring coronation, which will be ‘rooted in longstanding traditions and pageantry’, but also ‘reflect the monarch’s role today and look towards the future’ as revealed by Buckingham Palace.
Buckingham Palace
Almost synonymous with the royal family, Buckingham Palace has been the administrative headquarters of the British monarchy since as far back as 1837. The iconic building that’s currently undergoing refurbishment has hosted many events, from summer garden parties to clothing events – remember when the Queen hosted 350 guests to celebrate the importance of the fashion industry? Lest we forget the Prince and Princess of Wales', William and Kate, wedding reception, or the late monarch’s Platinum Jubilee celebrations that marked her 70 years on the British throne.
Windsor Castle
Windsor is believed to be the oldest and largest inhabited castle in the world and has been the family home of British kings and queens for almost 1,000 years. It was the Queen’s weekend home and became her main residence when the Covid-19 pandemic struck in 2020. And it's where Prince Philip spent the last year of his life before passing away on April 9 2021, aged 99.
So important is the castle that Prince William and Kate Middleton, moved to nearby Adelaide Cottage in September 2022, with their three children Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince George. The trio enrolled into Lambrook co-educational private school near Ascot in Berkshire.
In February 2023, eagle-eyed royal fans noticed subtle changes to the late Queen’s former home and how it was seemingly adjusted for King Charles and Camilla, Queen Consort. When the King met with European Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen at the grand castle that month a silk striped sofa near the fireplace was in a different position than when the Queen was photographed during her meeting with the President of the Co-operative Republic of Guyana, David Granger in April 2017. Fans also spotted a large white pot with a plant believed to nod to his passion for botanical things.
The Palace of Holyroodhouse
The Palace of Holyroodhouse is the King's official residence in Edinburgh and the home of Scottish royal history. It’s located at the end of the Royal Mile, close to the historic Edinburgh Castle housing the Scottish Crown Jewels, the Honours of Scotland. For his first official engagement as King of Scotland, he arrived at Holyroodhouse for an ancient ceremony.
Hillsborough Castle
Boasting decorative lawns, undulating waterways, serene woodlands and breath-taking glens, Hillsborough Castle is a popular tourist attraction. The Georgian castle, with its 100 acres of beautiful gardens, is the King’s official residence in Northern Ireland. In September 2022, footage surfaced of His Majesty frustrated over a leaking pen as he signed a visitor’s book in front of cameras.
Highgrove House
The neo-classical Gloucestershire property was built at the end of the 18th century, supposedly by architect Anthony Keck, for the Crawley-Boevey family. Charles acquired it in 1980, before marrying Princess Diana, and remodelled its estate. The nine-bedroom, six-bathroom mansion became the former Prince and Princess of Wales' main residence. It featured on season four of The Crown, in which Charles was shown planning the gardens after his marriage.
Sandringham House
The Norfolk country house is privately owned by the monarch, after King Edward VII purchased it and passed the property down to his heirs. Sandringham was the setting for the first Christmas broadcast in 1932 and it later became tradition for the royal family to spend Christmas holidays there. The Queen was known to have spent 32 Christmases within the 20,000-acre estate, except when the pandemic broke and she celebrated instead at Windsor Castle.
Balmoral Castle
The late Queen spent her final moments at Balmoral Castle on September 8, 2022, where she died aged 96. Its story began in 1852 when Queen Victoria fell head over heels with the Scottish Highlands. The 50,000 acre estate is where royal family members have famously retreated to in the summers.
Princess Eugenie said: ‘It’s the most beautiful place on earth.' Meanwhile, Princess Eugenie once said, per Hello: ‘It's the most beautiful place on earth. I think Granny is the most happy there. I think she really, really loves the Highlands.’
Poignant royal moments have been shared at Balmoral – it’s where Charles and Diana spent their honeymoon in 1981 Charles and Camilla themselves spent their honeymoon close-by in Birkhall in 2005. Balmoral is also where Prince William and Prince Harry learned of their mother’s tragic death in 1997.
Clarence House
Nestled beside St James's Palace, Clarence House was built between 1825 and 1827. It has been home to Her Majesty The Queen (then Princess Elizabeth) and The Duke of Edinburgh, Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother and The Duke of Cambridge and Prince Harry, whose residence it was from 2002 until 2012. Almost a decade later, he and wife Meghan Markle moved to Montecito, California, following their 2018 wedding and stepping back as senior members of the royal family.
Clarence House is steeped in history – the Queen gave birth to Princess Anne at the property in 1950 and Princess Margaret lived in the Garden Room, created from two rooms, before she married Antony Armstrong Jones.
The flowers on the Queen's coffin for her funeral were handpicked from the gardens at Buckingham Palace, Clarence House and Highgrove House.
Charles and Camilla moved into Clarence house in 2003, but before doing so they made their own changes to the property.
Kathryn Jones, Senior Curator of Decorative Arts for Royal Collection Trust, previously told Town & country: ‘The major change has been in The Dining Room which has the unusual and striking bronze coving to the ceiling.
'The other thing that always strikes you when you are inside the house is how much the garden is present—many of the rooms look out into the garden and there is a sense of it almost like an extra room to the house.'
The monarch and Camilla’s residence was at the centre of upheaval in September 2022, shortly after the Queen’s passing, when it was reported that up to 100 employees were notified they could lose their job following his accession to the throne.
Llwynywermod
Llwynywermod sits on the outskirts of Brecon Beacons National Park in Carmarthenshire and was bought by the Duchy of Cornwall in 2006. The three-bedroom farmhouse was converted for King Charles and Camilla, the Queen Consort, and is where the couple stay when visiting Wales.
In Photos: The British Royal Family Through The Years
Sakaynah Hunter is the Digital News Editor at ELLE, covering subjects including politics, health, women’s interest, the royals and entertainment. Having worked in editorial roles across luxury e-commerce, newspaper and magazine journalism, she’s an all-rounder. When Sakaynah’s not at work, she loves psychological thrillers, the ballet and endless conversations over a glass of wine.
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