King Charles III: the new monarch's royal homes and private properties
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The extraordinary homes of King Charles III
One year on from the Queen’s passing and his accession to the throne, King Charles has had an eventful start to his reign, including the acquisition of a good bit more than just the crown. The oldest child of the UK’s longest reigning monarch and the late Prince Philip, the Duke of Edinburgh, became the sole beneficiary of the late Queen’s vast personal fortune, estimated at around £430 million ($535m) as well as rights to estates and homes, which include Buckingham Palace and some more unusual locations. Let's see how his first year as King has played
out...
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Where has Charles spent the summer?
Charles is currently residing at Balmoral with Camilla, a continuation of the longstanding family tradition of retreating to the castle for a summer holiday. Charles spent some time at Castle of Mey and his residence on the estate, Birkhall, but returned to Balmoral for the anniversary of the Queen’s death, on 8 September 2023. While the Queen herself would usually spend the whole summer at Balmoral, the new royal pair are only there to enjoy the end of the season.
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Anniversary of the Queen’s death
On the one-year anniversary of the Queen’s death, the royals paid tribute to her memory as the nation’s longest-reigning monarch. King Charles released a personal statement, written and read at Balmoral Castle, where the Queen passed, and attended a private prayer and reflection session with Queen Camilla at Crathie Kirk, close to the castle. The King expressed his thanks to the British people for their support during the first year of his and Camilla’s reign and pledged their continued service to the country. Meanwhile, to mark the anniversary of King Charles' accession to the throne, gun salutes were fired at midday in London, Edinburgh, Cardiff and Belfast, and bells also were rung at Westminster Abbey. The Prince and Princess of Wales attended a private service at St Davids Cathedral in Pembrokeshire.
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All change at Balmoral
In a blow to royal tradition, it has been reported that the Royal Family can no longer hunt near Balmoral, the Queen's much-loved home, as the new owner of a neighbouring estate has plans to transform the site and build private accommodation and hunting lodges, terminating the royals' sporting rights lease established by Prince Albert in 1852. For almost two centuries, the royals have leased the sporting rights at Abergeldie, but according to the Daily Telegraph, Abergeldie owner Alastair Storey is planning a number of changes to the 11,532-acre estate. Reportedly, planning documents have been filed with Aberdeenshire council disclosing that the historic hunting deal has been scrapped.
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Harry's return to the UK
While Prince Harry made a brief visit to the UK to attend the annual WellChild Awards, of which he is patron, and which took place the day before his Grandmother's anniversary, he is not believed to have met with any of his family members during his visit. Harry did, however, pay his respects to his Grandmother, saying: "As you know, I was unable to attend the awards last year as my grandmother passed away," going on to say, "she would have been the first person to insist that I still come to be with you all instead of going to her and that's precisely why I know exactly one year on that she is looking down on all of us tonight, happy we're together continuing to spotlights such an incredible community," he said.
Following in the Queen’s (controversial) footsteps
Following in his mother’s footsteps, on the day after her anniversary, on 9 September, Charles made the somewhat controversial decision to issue a congratulatory message to Kim Jung Un on the anniversary of North Korea’s founding. The message was reportedly very similarly worded to a message the Queen had sent Kim in 2021. At the time, a Buckingham Palace spokesperson said that it was “standard practice” for national days across the world and “has been done before”.
Photograph © Ranald Mackechnie / @theroyalfamily / Instagram
What has the King inherited?
As well as inheriting the Queen's personal fortune, the King received the annual Sovereign Grant of £86.3 million ($109m) from the Crown Estate towards travel, maintenance of the palaces, and running the royal household. He also inherited the private estate known as the Duchy of Lancaster, estimated to be worth £650 million ($821.5m) and providing the King with an annual income of around £24 million ($30.3m) from commercial and agricultural properties, plus residential assets mainly based in the North of England.
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The Sovereign Grant
In June 2023 the Sovereign Grant Report 2022-23 was released. This financial report details how the Sovereign Grant is allocated and spent and despite various cost-cutting measures employed by the Royal Family spending rose this past year. However, in one of his recent acts as sovereign, King Charles has chosen to reject a £32.5 million ($41.3m) pay rise from his windfarm profits, requesting that the funds be used for the "wider public good." The windfarm windfall is the result of a £1 billion ($1.3bn) renewable energy deal secured by the Crown Estate involving the sale of offshore windfarm licences, which was originally intended to increase the annual Sovereign Grant which funds the Royal Family’s expenses.
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King Charles rejects windfarm windfall
Under the current Sovereign Grant formula, the King is entitled to a 15% share of all profits paid to the Treasury, plus a further 10% to pay for the ongoing refurbishment of Buckingham Palace. It has been reported that the most recent batch of windfarm licence sales made up the majority of last year’s £129.9 million ($164.2m) Treasury increase, with the result that the monarchy would have reportedly been due a profit increase of as much as £32.5 million ($41.3m).
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Charles loses £500m on London property
However, Charles chose to forfeit the payoff, a decision which may surprise many given that the Crown Estate – a collection of land and assets belonging to the monarch to the tune of £16 billion ($20.2bn) – already took a reported £500 million ($636m) hit this year in its London property portfolio. In the wake of the cost-of-living crisis, nearly one-fifth of the Crown Estate’s properties stand empty, a dramatic increase from just over a tenth last year.
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Buckingham Palace Coronation
The palace is part of the Crown Estate, a vast portfolio of land and property worth £15.6 billion ($19.4bn), which the King inherited on his mother's death and which belongs to the monarch for the duration of their reign. The headquarters for the British monarchy, Buckingham Palace has been at the centre of national celebrations and mourning for the British people for generations, not least the state funeral of the late Queen Elizabeth ll. The palace was a central part of the Coronation Day celebrations on 6 May 2023 and the culmination of the Coronation Procession, which featured members of the UK and Commonwealth armed forces.
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The King's Coronation
Despite his vast fortune, King Charles lll has made it clear he wants to cut back on the cost of the monarchy. He started by staging a “slimmed down” coronation, which was far more modest than that of his mother the Queen. The procession route alone was a quarter of the length of that of Queen Elizabeth ll and only 2,000 people attended the ceremony at Westminster Abbey in comparison to the 8,000 guests who attended in 1953.
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Official invitations
In harmony with his views on the environment, the King commissioned an invitation which was inspired by the themes of spring and rebirth, to celebrate the new reign, but most significantly, it showed the official use of “Queen Camilla”, marking the transition from the title of “Queen Consort”. The couple, whose pages of honour included the King’s grandson, Prince George, was crowned side by side during the ceremony at Westminster Abbey on 6 May and guests included First Lady Jill Biden, who represented her husband President Joe Biden.
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Passing down properties
King Charles now has access to all of the Crown Estate's palaces, including Buckingham Palace and Windsor Castle, plus the crown jewels, including St Edward's Crown, which was placed on his head during his coronation. As the new Duke of Lancaster and holder of the ancient Duchy of Lancaster, he has had to pass on his former title, Duke of Cornwall, to his son William. He has, in turn, inherited the Duchy of Cornwall and a revenue of around £23 million ($21.1m) a year, as well as the deeds to Highgrove House, which the King and Queen will now rent.
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Harry and Meghan's UK home
It wasn't all plain sailing in the run-up to the ceremony. Prince Harry confirmed he would attend without his wife Meghan or two children just three weeks before the event. It was the first time he appeared alongside his family since the publication of his controversial memoir Spare and following the King’s request that he and his wife vacate their former and only UK home, Frogmore Cottage. Despite previous reports they may be offered rooms at either Kensington Palace or Buckingham Palace as a London base instead, Harry did not gather with the rest of the family on the balcony of Buckingham Palace after the coronation ceremony. Recent reports reveal that the couple has now "returned the keys" of Frogmore Cottage to Charles and have shipped their final possessions to California, six months after receiving their eviction notice. The Sun reports that they will no longer have a UK home and "may have to rely on hotels or friends if they visit."
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Prince Andrew evicted
While 'problem prince,' the Duke of York, did attend the coronation, his ex-wife Sarah Ferguson, was not invited. As the King continues to review distribution of royal funds, he has requested that his brother vacate his current home, Royal Lodge, in favour of Frogmore Cottage, from which he has already ignominiously evicted Harry and Meghan. Reportedly resisting the move, fearing it would become permanent Andrew refused to move in while repairs were made to the roof of Royal Lodge. The King has also banned his brother from using his suite at Buckingham Palace, say reports, in the wake of the Epstein scandal.
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Taking over the corgis
In spite of Charles’ best efforts to evict him, Andrew continues to reside in his long-term home, the Royal Lodge, alongside his former wife Sarah Ferguson, who is recovering from breast cancer. The pair also share the lodge with a couple of fury housemates, the late Queen’s corgis, which they adopted after her passing. According to Fergie’s recent Instagram post commemorating the anniversary of the Queen’s death, Sandy and Muick are still “thriving.”
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A future home for the Prince and Princess of Wales
Meanwhile, though it had previously been reported that William and Kate might have their eye on the Lodge, should Andrew be forced out, new reports claim that the royal couple have no desire to vacate their current home, Adelaide Cottage. Sources close to the Duke and Duchess say they are “extremely happy” in their Windsor-based residence, and that they “don’t want” to move into the Royal Lodge.
Born into luxury, let's retrace the grand palaces King Charles has called home and the property projects he's been involved in over the years...
READ MORE: Where do King Charles and Queen Camilla live?
Whatever happens with the living arrangements of his family, the King and Queen are unlikely to move into Buckingham Palace for some time, and certainly not before 2027 when its £369m refurbishment is completed, reports The Mirror. The couple will remain at nearby Clarence House, where they have lived since they married in 2005. This British royal residence, which is part of the Crown Estate, has been host to royalty and VIPs from all over the world, including former US president Donald Trump and his wife Melania in 2019.
Clarence House, the King's current home
Back in 2002, when he was known as Prince Charles, the new King took ownership of this superb property after the death of the Queen Mother. Clarence House became his official London residence and was also home to Prince William and Prince Harry up to 2012. Located next to St James's Palace, the John Nash-designed building was built for the Duke of Clarence in 1827. The four-storey house was also home to the Queen and Prince Philip for a time before Queen Elizabeth ascended the throne. But where did it all begin for Charles?
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From Prince to King
From his official London residence at Clarence House and stunning country pile at Highgrove to boltholes in Scotland, Wales and even Transylvania, King Charles III has accumulated a fascinating real estate collection on his journey to the throne. The scenes of royal affairs, hauntings and two marriages, let's explore more of the new monarch's properties, past and present.
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The young prince
Born in 1948 in the Buhl Room at Buckingham Palace, the oldest of the late Queen Elizabeth II's children, King Charles grew up in privileged surroundings. He spent his early childhood living between Buckingham Palace and Windsor Castle, departing the royal residences for Cheam prep school in 1958.
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Growing up royal
King Charles spent much of his youth living away from home but would still return to visit the Queen and his younger siblings. He spent the early part of his twenties studying at Trinity College, part of the University of Cambridge, eventually earning a master's degree in history by 1975. He also served in the armed forces between 1971 and 1977, during which time he'd spend his leave living in rooms at Buckingham Palace and Windsor.
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Prepping for marriage
In 1980, the year before his marriage to Lady Diana Spencer, King Charles bought Highgrove House but was still spending much of his time on the road performing his royal duties. At 31, he was ready to have his own base, and the Gloucestershire house is equidistant between London and Cornwall.
The honeymoon suite
At the age of 32, following his fairytale wedding to Lady Diana Spencer in 1981, the former Prince and his new wife moved into London's Kensington Palace. Apartments 8 and 9, which were built by King George I for his mistress the Duchess of Kendal, were combined to create a new large home for the newlyweds.
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Kensington Palace, London
A sort of upmarket housing estate for royals, the palace dates from 1605 and was snapped up in 1689 for £20,000 ($25.3k) by King William III and Queen Mary II, who appointed Sir Christopher Wren to expand it. The palace served as the principal residence of Queen Anne, the subject of the Oscar-winning film The Favourite, but the property fell out of favour after her reign and was divided into apartments.
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A royal estate
The estate is made up of the main mansion and a series of smaller properties scattered through the estate like Nottingham Cottage, where Prince Harry and Meghan Markle lived. The palace itself is divided into different apartments that traditionally serve as homes for non-ruling members of the immediate royal family, such as the Prince and Princess Michael of Kent in apartment 10.
Starting a family
King Charles and Diana, Princess of Wales welcomed their first child Prince William on 21 June 1982. The trio are shown here in their sitting room, which was decorated in the dusky pink and duck-egg blue hues Diana was so fond of.
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Charles and Diana
This image of the young family posing for a picture in their apartments in Kensington Palace was captured in 1983. A year later, Prince Harry was born, but the couple's marriage was already floundering. According to a Channel 4 documentary, Diana In Her Own Words, Charles was already involved with Camilla Parker-Bowles – now Queen Camilla – as early as 1982. Charles and Diana eventually separated in 1992 and he moved to St James's Palace.
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York House, St James's Palace, London
Then still known as Prince Charles, he moved into a new London base following his separation from Princess Diana. York House was a historic wing of St James's Palace. It was built in 1736 for a previous Prince of Wales, Frederick Lewis, and was the home of the Duke of Cumberland, who later became King of Hanover, for several decades during the late 18th and early 19th centuries.
Clearing York House
After Princess Diana's tragic death in 1997, Charles remained at St James's Palace with his sons, William and Harry. Her apartment at Kensington Palace was stripped bare, and some of the contents were moved to York House.
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Secret tunnels?
King Charles resided at York House with Princes William and Harry until 2002. The property is said to comprise a number of low-pitched rooms on the ground floor, several small drawing rooms on the first floor, and servants' quarters on the top floor that have exceedingly low ceilings. A legend states that there are myriad tunnels running beneath St James's Palace that lead to various gentlemen's clubs in the area, winemaker Berry Bros. & Rudd, as well as Buckingham Palace. We wonder if Charles ever found them...
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Royal hosting duties
Since 2002, the wing has been used as offices for King Charles' household and the new monarch holds events in the state apartments of St James's Palace – here he is pictured at York House in 2010 at a dinner for the Asian Trust.
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A King of many languages
Other receptions the former prince has hosted there include an event to honour surviving members of the Victoria Cross and George Cross Association (pictured). He also opened the doors of the palace to 120 Greek students and businesspeople, greeting them in perfect Greek. Charles can also converse in French, German and Welsh.
Highgrove House, Gloucestershire
During his early thirties, King Charles added this Gloucestershire country pile to the Duchy of Cornwall estate. He bought Highgrove House, in 1980 – the year before he married Diana – for around £865,000 ($1.1m) from Maurice Macmillan, the son of former UK Prime Minister, Harold Macmillan. Princess Diana reportedly wasn't a fan of the nine-bedroom property, which she thought was too small and not private enough but over the years it's been a cherished family home for the former Duke of Cornwall.
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A passion for nature
King Charles set about creating a showcase organic garden in the estate's 37 acres of grounds. A champion of organic farming and sustainability long before it went mainstream, HRH believes gardening “helps heal damaged souls". His eco-forward additions to Highgrove include a reed-bed sewage system, biomass boilers, ground and air source heat pumps for heating and hot water, plus a rigorous composting system for kitchen waste.
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Princess Diana's favourite interior designer
The house was decorated by Princess Diana's favourite interior designer Dudley Poplak following the royal wedding in 1981. Poplak, who also revamped the Kensington Palace apartment, opted for a similar pastel colour scheme and a “youthful variant of the chintzy country-house look". In 1987, the house was remodelled by Charles (pictured here with his staff in 1991) who commissioned several neo-classical additions.
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A new Highgrove House
Following the divorce of the former Prince Charles and Princess Diana, Camilla Parker-Bowles (pictured at a reception at Highgrove in 2009) had the house redecorated, calling on the services of interior designer Robert Kime. As with so many stately homes, the 18th-century Georgian mansion has something of a tragic history. In 1850, the granddaughter of the then owner died after her ballgown caught alight during a soirée, and in 1893, the house was gutted by fire. It was renovated not long after at a cost of £6,000 ($7k).
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Holidays at Highgrove
As the reigning monarch, King Charles is also bestowed with a new title, the Duke of Lancaster. His former title as the Duke of Cornwall has now passed to his eldest son, Prince William, who will also inherit all the properties and revenue generated by the Duchy of Cornwall, including Highgrove House. It is likely that Charles and Camilla will continue to use the house as tenants, and William has no plans to move in.
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Clarence House, London
Every senior royal has duties to attend to in the nation's capital, so a base in London is essential. King Charles undertook a £4.5 million ($5.7m) refurbishment of Clarence House, after inheriting this coveted city mansion from the late Queen Mother in 2002. His Majesty spent £1.6 million ($2m) of his own money on soft furnishings before moving in and the result is cosy yet elegant and unmistakably royal.
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Elevated decor
King Charles III has legions of staff, including multiple footmen who are responsible for escorting guests along specific corridors of Clarence House. Regal red drapes, carpeting and upholstery dress the hallway while gilt-framed paintings, sculptures and antique vases pepper the finest wooden sideboards.
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Eggs-aggerated claims
In his 2006 book On Royalty, Jeremy Paxman wrote that at breakfast each morning the royal is said to be presented with seven boiled eggs cooked to varying degrees so he can choose the perfect one to eat. But Clarence House dismissed the claim in 2012, saying: "No, he doesn't and never has done, at breakfast or any other time."
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Birkhall, Aberdeenshire, UK
King Charles' private Scottish estate, Birkhall, is situated on the edge of Balmoral in the wilds of Aberdeenshire. Dating from 1715, the estate, which sprawls over 53,000 acres, was acquired by Prince Albert in 1852 together with Balmoral. It eventually passed to the Queen Mother, who bequeathed the property to her grandson upon her death in 2002.
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Charles and Camilla on honeymoon
King Charles and Camilla, Queen Consort, spent their honeymoon at the unpretentious pile, which was described by the Queen Mother as "a small big house, or a big small house". In fact, the charming hunting lodge has hosted six royal honeymoons in total.
A sanctuary for Charles
The young former Prince of Wales adored the property since his first trips there as a child. He is pictured here with his sister, Princess Anne, in 1951. A sanctuary for Charles during his teenage years, he would visit regularly to escape the horrors of Gordonstoun – the notoriously strict Scottish prep school that Charles once reportedly described as "Colditz in kilts".
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Distinctive character
When at Birkhall, Charles is said to spend his time fishing, stalking deer, sketching, and watercolour painting. Following the Queen Mother's death, Charles and Camilla oversaw a sensitive redecoration of the property, hiring their favourite interior designer Robert Kime for the job, but they were careful to retain its distinctive character.
Telling time at Birkhall
Given this is a strictly private home, images of the interiors are few and far between but this shot, which is taken from a BBC documentary, gives you some idea about the décor, which is simple and homely. The house is said to feature Royal Stewart tartan on the floors and walls, plus a number of quirky features, including 11 grandfather clocks in the dining room.
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New Year's Eve
The King and his wife aren't the only royals who enjoy staying at Birkhall. In 2011, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge celebrated what must have been a very memorable New Year's Eve at the property. The late Queen (pictured with Charles in the sitting room at Birkhall) also liked to spend time at the secluded estate and was said to particularly enjoy riding there.
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Dumfries House, Ayrshire, UK
King Charles' love of Scotland led him to save a struggling stately home, Dumfries House. The magnificent Palladian country house was built in the 1750s for William Dalrymple, 5th Earl of Dumfries, by eminent architects John Adam and Robert Adam. The property was eventually passed down to John Crichton-Stuart, 7th Marquess of Bute, who struggled to pay for its upkeep.
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Saved by Charles
Unable to keep the house on, the marquess (pictured) was forced to sell up. An architectural gem, Dumfries House was purchased for the nation in 2007 by a consortium led by King Charles at a cost of £45 million ($56.9m), with the monarch putting in £20 million ($25.3m) from his own charitable foundation's funds.
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A painstaking restoration
Dumfries House was in a rather poor state of repair when Charles acquired it. A painstaking restoration was carried out not long after the property was purchased, and the country house was opened to the public in 2008. The idea is for the estate to be self-sufficient and help regenerate the local economy.
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Knockroon the eco-village
As part of the project, an eco-village called Knockroon, similar to the King's experimental new town of Poundbury in Dorset, was undertaken in the grounds of Dumfries House. The sustainable project is expected to take around 25 years to complete. The royal is shown here in 2011 unveiling the foundation stone.
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Dumfries House drawing room
Charles received much praise for saving the estate – and some criticism for pumping so much of the Duchy's cash into it. Some view Dumfries House as a vanity project but it provided Cumnock locals with valuable employment opportunities. This picture shows the mansion's elegant drawing room restored to its former glory.
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A haunted Dumfries House?
Chillingly, Queen Camilla is convinced the house was haunted: “It had a really eerie feel about it," she revealed in an ITV documentary. “There was definitely a ghost. Without a shadow of a doubt.” Apparently, Queen Camilla, pictured here walking her dog in the grounds, would freeze upon entering the property initially, but now feels the phantom has gone.
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Castle of Mey, Caithness, UK
The Castle of Mey is situated in an especially isolated location on the windswept north coast of Scotland. Featured in the Netflix series The Crown, the castle, which was built between 1566 and 1572 for the 4th Earl of Caithness, was purchased by the Queen Mother in 1952 following the death of her husband King George VI.
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Castle of Mey, Caithness, UK
A faraway retreat for the widowed Queen Mother to mourn her late husband. She would escape to the much-loved Castle of Mey every August and October from 1955 until shortly before her death in 2002. Before moving in, the royal reinstated the original name – it was called Barrogill Castle when she bought it – and restored the building, removing many of the 19th-century additions.
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Bracing royal walks
While King Charles doesn't own the castle – it now belongs to a trust – he travels there every year in late August with his wife Queen Camilla for a 10-day stay. Remarkable in its remoteness, there is very little to do at the castle aside from playing board games and venturing out for bracing walks.
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Privacy at Mey
Still, the Queen Mother was in her element at the Scottish estate. Charles and Camilla are said to be equally enamoured with the castle, enjoying its seclusion and distance from civilisation.
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Eco-friendly renovations
Keen to introduce the delights of the castle to paying guests, the King oversaw the renovation of the old stables and granary, which have been transformed into 10 eco-luxe guest rooms.
Courtesy of Castle of Mey
A stay at Mey
The sustainable project was completed in April 2019, in time for the summer season, offering 10 uniquely decorated bedrooms including two full suites offering views over the Pentland Firth to Orkney. This fine bedroom is available for two-night stays at a cost of £494 ($628).
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The Green Lady
The castle is popular with other royals too – Prince Harry and Meghan, Duchess of Sussex enjoyed a romantic break there in 2018. Whether they encountered the resident ghost is anyone's guess. The castle is rumoured to be haunted by The Green Lady, the ghost of Lady Fanny Sinclair, who is said to have had an affair with a stable hand in the 1880s. When her father found out, he banished the young man, and the heartbroken Lady Sinclair supposedly took her own life.
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Llwynywermod, Carmarthenshire, UK
In another effort to streamline the monarchic footprint and reduce the costs of his properties, King Charles III gave up the lease on his Welsh home in 2023. The king, then prince, bought the 192-acre Llwynywermod estate in 2007 for £1.2 million ($1.5m) via the Duchy of Cornwall. On the edge of the breathtaking Bannau Brycheiniog (Brecon Beacons) mountains in Carmarthenshire, the estate centres around a charming whitewashed farmhouse.
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Wormwood Grove
Upon the death of Queen Elizabeth II, the property passed to Prince William, the Prince of Wales, when he inherited the Duchy of Cornwall and King Charles has been paying to rent the estate ever since. The house has a long and illustrious history. It was first owned by another William, William Williams, back in the 13th century, a relative of the ill-fated Anne Boleyn, and it was the seat of the Griffies-Williams baronets until 1877 when the line came to an end. The estate was originally called Llwynywormwood, which means “Wormwood Grove”.
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The history of Llwynywermod
The Griffies-Williams family resided in a grand 13-bedroom country house on the estate, but the building has been in ruins since the 19th century. The three-bedroom cottage is actually part of the former coach house, which has been converted. The property also includes two characterful holiday cottages which can be rented out when the royal owners aren't in residence. King Charles later hired architect Craig Hamilton to transform the property. It is believed the entirety of Llwynywermod will now be let for holidays or even on a long-term lease.
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All natural materials
In keeping with the royal's philosophy of sustainability, the project was undertaken with the utmost care and attention by local craftsmen and women. The mansion's romantic ruins were preserved, lending an air of mystery to the estate. Sheep's wool was used to insulate the structure, hemp plaster was daubed on the walls and other traditional materials were employed in the conversion. The king and queen decorated the interiors with Welsh artefacts and artworks by local artists.
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Summers at Llwynywermod
The building has a courtyard garden with a fountain and two small wildflower meadows, one of which contains an apple orchard. Charles and Camilla make a point of staying at the idyllic property every summer during their annual tour. It is unclear whether they will visit the home one last time before their lease expires that the end of the summer. According to The Times, a spokesman for the Prince of Wales revealed he had no plans to make a home at Llwynywermod, preferring to stay in local hotels to "help out the local economy."
Courtesy Duchy of Cornwall
Tamarisk, Isles of Scilly, UK
This surprisingly modest four-bedroom bungalow on St Mary's in the Isles of Scilly was 20-year-old Charles' first proper property purchase. He bagged the compact bachelor pad in 1969 through his Duchy – it was constructed a few years before in the mid-1960s – and spent a royal Christmas there the same year, no doubt pleased as punch to have a place of his own to retreat to.
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Family holidays
Once the King was a married man with children, however, he preferred to stay with his family in Tresco during their regular holidays to the gorgeous Scilly Isles. Here they are in June 1989 heading off for a bike ride. The bungalow was simply too small for the four of them, and the monarch lent it out to relatives and friends from that point onwards.
Courtesy Duchy of Cornwall
A chocolate box cottage
The property was named after the tamarisk shrubs that encircle it. Rare on the mainland, these plants thrive in the isles' sub-tropical climate. In 2016, the King was granted approval to transform the bungalow into a chocolate box cottage, though the revamp didn't go down well with everyone.
Courtesy Duchy of Cornwall
Royal rentals at Tamarisk
A local councillor voted against the renovation of the decidedly undistinguished 1960s property. Echoing criticism of some of Charles' other pet projects such as Poundbury and Knockroon, the council member described the revamp as a “pastiche”. In any case, the project went ahead and the property is now available to rent out.
Courtesy Duchy of Cornwall
Beautifully decorated
In addition to the tastefully decorated dual-aspect sitting room, the cottage has an attractive country-style kitchen and dining area complete with an electric range cooker, traditional ceramic butler's sink and shaker cabinets. From the countertops to the slate flooring, the home's finishes are of the highest standard.
Courtesy Duchy of Cornwall
Understated luxury
The understated luxury carries into the cottage's four bedrooms. They feature pretty furniture, carefully selected artwork and quirky details such as a swan ornament (pictured), plus each bed is draped in high-end Egyptian cotton bed linen. All this doesn't come cheap, however. A seven-night stay costs from £1,350 ($1.7k) in January, rising to £5,295 ($6.7k) in high season.
Courtesy Zalán Transylvanian Castle
Transylvanian estate, Zalanpatak, Romania
Famed for its association with Count Dracula and brutal real-life ruler Vlad the Impaler, Transylvania is one of King Charles' favourite holiday destinations, believe it or not. The former Prince visited the region of Romania in 1998, not long after the death of Diana, and was smitten with the place – so much so that he went on to buy two properties there.
Courtesy Zalán Transylvanian Castle
Count Kalnoky
The pair of properties are looked after by the King's close friend Count Kalnoky. Charles acquired his first Transylvanian home in 2006 in the Saxon village of Viscri. He followed up the purchase in 2010 by buying this cottage in Zalanpatak for the rumoured price of £12,000 ($15.2k), which he restored. The former Prince is pictured here with the count and his staff.
Courtesy Zalán Transylvanian Castle
Authentic construction methods
King Charles has been known to stay at the cottages when he visits Romania, but for the rest of the year they are rented out to holidaymakers. Like the other renovation projects the royal has been involved with, the properties have been sensitively restored using authentic construction methods and traditional, locally sourced materials.
Courtesy Zalán Transylvanian Castle
Cosy vibes
While there are no strategic strings of garlic, the rooms of each cottage boast Transylvanian antiques and other objects pertaining to the region. The sitting room has a grand fireplace and a snug bank of window seats, ideal for the cold and dark Transylvanian nights, as well as solid wood cabinetry and cosy armchairs.
Courtesy Zalán Transylvanian Castle
The Princes' Room
The regally named Prince's Room is the most opulent. The spacious bedroom wows with a carved king-sized twin bed, which is adorned with heritage textiles that were hand-picked by the count and his staff. When Charles comes to stay, this is the room he beds down in.
Courtesy Zalán Transylvanian Castle
Aunt Ida's Room
The dinky Aunt Ida's Room has a traditional Transylvanian drawer bed, which sleeps two and is decorated in the same heritage style. Note the crucifix on the wall, which is clearly a must in this part of the world. If you're brave enough to stay at the cottage, you can expect to pay from £128 ($163) a night for the Prince's Room, and £102 ($130) per night for Aunt Ida's Room.
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