Where Do The Royal Family Actually Live?

Buckingham Palace, Windsor Castle and Holyroodhouse might be the UK’s official royal residences, but where do King Charles and his family actually live? We glimpse inside the properties which the British royal family call home, from opulent London townhouses to grand estates in the Cotswolds and villas on the Portuguese coast.

A Guide To The British Royal Family’s Residences

Clarence House, London

While Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip lived in Buckingham Palace, King Charles and Queen Camilla broke tradition by staying put at Clarence House, where they have spent the majority of their time since getting married in 2005. Located on The Mall in Westminster, the property is just half a mile away from the Palace – and rumour has it there’s a secret, underground tunnel connecting the two. 

Built between 1825 and 1827 for the Duke of Nash, the Grade I listed building has been the home of numerous royal family members over the years. In 1953, The Queen Mother moved in following Queen Elizabeth II’s ascension to the throne – and she stayed there until she died in 2002. Both Prince William and Prince Harry have also lived at Clarence House.

It’s thought the property has five bedrooms, as well as other rooms which are used for receptions and entertaining guests. While the majority of the house is kept private, King Charles did previously give us a peek inside, allowing Google Arts and Culture to photograph his extensive royal art collection in honour of his 70th birthday. This gave us a glimpse at its maximalist style: rooms are filled with artworks, historic objects, trinkets and family photographs, with opulent gilded detailing (take a look here). 

Adelaide Cottage is located in the grounds of Windsor Castle

Adelaide Cottage, Windsor

In 2022, Prince William and Kate Middleton relocated from Kensington Palace to Adelaide Cottage in the grounds of Windsor Home Park, along with their children, Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis. The main draw was the school (all three attend Lambrook nearby in Berkshire), plus sources said William and Kate were keen to offer a more rural upbringing for their children.

Originally built as a teahouse for Queen Adelaide in 1831, the Grade II-listed royal property became a guesthouse during Queen Victoria’s reign. It was also once lived in by Peter Townsend, the scandalous lover of Princess Margaret. 

The cottage has a pinkish-white exterior, with a reported four bedrooms, and the master bedroom has been described as ‘generously sized’ with gilded dolphins and rope decoration on the ceiling, originally used on the HMY Royal George yacht. 

However, just this week, there have been reports suggesting William and Kate are considering moving now the children are a bit older – with whispers that they have their eyes on the nearby gothic estate Fort Belvedere. 

Gatcombe Park

Everyone from the Beckhams to Ellen DeGeneres is buying property in the Cotswolds right now – but the royal family have long had ties there. Princess Anne has lived at Gatcombe Park, just outside the village of Minchinhampton in Gloucestershire, since 1976, after being gifted the property by the late Queen Elizabeth as a wedding present. 

Built in 1774 but redesigned for economist David Ricardo in 1820, the Grade II-listed house is believed to be pretty sizable, with five bedrooms, four secondary bedrooms, four reception rooms, a library and a billiard room.

Anne’s daughter Zara Tindall lives in a separate home called Aston Farm on the 700-acre estate, along with husband Mike Tindall and their three children: Mia, Lena and Lucas. The Tindalls have shared snippets of the house on their social media platforms, showing a kitchen with bronze marble worktops, an island and sage-green panelled walls. There’s also a home gym (no surprise considering Tindall’s background as a professional English rugby player). And in an interview with Vogue, the pair revealed there’s also a ‘party barn’ on the farm, which is used for family events and gatherings.

Comporta, Portugal

In 2022, Princess Eugenie and Jack Brooksbank moved to Comporta on the Alentejo coast of Portugal, after Brooksbank landed a new job at the CostaTerra Gold and Ocean Club there. The couple live in a villa at the resort (where properties start at £3.6 million), along with their two sons, August and Ernest. Often dubbed ‘the Hamptons of Portugal’, CostaTerra offers luxurious facilities, including an exclusive Tom Fazio-designed golf course, an organic farm, a wellness centre and a beach club. Rumour has it they may be soon getting an A-list neighbour, as Nicole Kidman is reportedly on the hunt for a villa on the resort.

When they’re in London, Eugenie and Jack stay at Ivy Cottage on the grounds of Kensington Palace, a chocolate-box property with Georgian windows and roses cascading down its facade.

Getty Images

Montecito, Los Angeles

Since departing their UK home of Frogmore Cottage in 2020, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have lived in Montecito, Santa Barbara, a hotspot for the rich and famous. The pair live in a 19,000-square-foot mansion complete with nine bedrooms and a whopping 16 bathrooms, plus a gym, sauna, library, home theatre, games room and wine cellar. Outside, there’s a swimming pool, a tennis court and a chicken coop.

Although the pair have mostly kept the property private, there have been a few glimpses inside, revealing cottagecore-style interiors – think striped cushions, cream sofas and a stone fireplace. The kitchen, meanwhile, features classic wooden cabinets and blue tiles (turns out With Love, Meghan was actually filmed in a separate Santa Barbara farmhouse down the road).