This article was originally published on WHerMoments
It’s pretty obvious that the royal family have a huge selection of extravagant properties at their disposal. But when you look into the figures involved, the reality is still absolutely staggering. According to one study, the estimated total value of all the houses and palaces within the royal portfolio reaches to something like $4.2 billion! With that in mind, let’s take a look at 30 of the most impressive…
30. Thatched House Lodge — $1.2 million
Home to the Queen’s cousin Princess Alexandra, Thatched House Lodge sits on an estate of around four acres. Inside are said to be six bedrooms, six reception rooms, and all the luxury you might expect to find in a royal house.
We don’t know exactly how much this place would be worth if it ever went on the market, but average house prices in the same area reach around $1.2 million. Having said that, we can safely presume Thatched House Lodge would fetch quite a bit more.
29. Fort Belvedere — $1.3 million
Fort Belvedere has housed plenty of royals during its time. Edward, Prince of Wales, took residence there in 1929 and he immediately started renovating. He later became King Edward VIII, but he eventually abdicated — an historic moment which occurred at Fort Belvedere. While the property remains firmly within the Crown Estate today, it is rented out.
A 78-year lease was up for grabs in 1976 at a price somewhere in the realm of $200,000. That would amount to about $1.3 million today.
28. Tamarisk House — $1.5 million
Named after a type of shrub found in its local area, Tamarisk House was constructed back in the 1960s upon St. Mary’s, one of the islands that make up the Isles of Scilly off the English coastline.
The newly crowned King Charles used to holiday here sometimes when he was married to Diana, but nowadays the property has another use. It’s actually possible to rent the place for a short-term stay — provided you can afford it, of course.
27. Anmer Hall — $1.7 million
Prince William and Princess Catherine have a place in Norfolk called Anmer Hall, where they like to holiday. Now, we’re firmly within the realm of loose estimates here, but the couple have pumped about $1.7 million into renovations.
If Anmer Hall ever went up for sale, then, it certainly wouldn’t be going for anything less than that — and, let’s face it, the real figure would likely be far greater.
26. Llwynywermod — $2 million
In a small, quiet community in Wales, the newly crowned King Charles III owns an estate called Llwynywermod. He picked this place up in 2007 for something like $2 million, adjusted for inflation.
For that, he got a traditional-looking farmhouse surrounded by acres of beautiful countryside and forests.
25. Dolphin House — $3.3 million
Dolphin House is another of the Prince of Wales’ properties on the Isles of Scilly that can be rented by anyone rich enough to do so. This place is on an island called Tresco, and can be rented at a weekly price of £2,185.
So, let’s times that by 52 to get the yearly rent, multiply that by 25 — which is the typical amount of years it takes to pay off a mortgage — and then convert it all to dollars. That leaves us with close to $3.3 million, which we’ll say is a broad estimate of how much the property as a whole might be worth.
24. Nottingham Cottage — $3.4 million
As royal properties go, Nottingham Cottage — once home to Harry and Meghan — is on the small side. With only two bedrooms and bathrooms, it’s almost on the normal side.
Still, it’s located within the grounds of Kensington Palace, and features rooms designed by Sir Christopher Wren, so it’s definitely worth a pretty penny.
23. Highgrove House — $3.9 million
Charles picked up Highgrove House in Gloucestershire back in 1980, before setting out to renovate the property. By the end of these works, the nine-bedroom country residence was looking regal and was now equipped with a pool.
There are few better places to house royalty, as Charles, his then-wife Diana, and their kids William and Harry learned.
22. Ivy Cottage — $4.5 million
Ivy Cottage is another of the properties standing upon the grounds of Kensington Palace. This place was once Princess Eugenie’s home, which she shared with her partner Jack Brooksbank.
They stayed there for about two-and-a-half years, before moving into Frogmore Cottage toward the end of summer 2021.
21. Gatcombe Park — $4.7 million
Gatcombe Park in the Cotswolds has only been a royal house since 1976 which is when the Queen purchased it. She picked it up as a present for her daughter Anne. Estimates suggest the monarch coughed up anything from £500,000 to £750,000.
That was nearly 50 years ago now, though, so its true worth would be well into the millions nowadays.
20. Adelaide Cottage — $5.1 million
Constructed in 1831 for Queen Adelaide — who was the spouse of King William IV — Adelaide Cottage recently welcomed some new inhabitants. Will, Kate, and their kids have taken up residence there, leaving behind their old home in Kensington Palace.
Nobody knows for sure how much Adelaide Cottage is really worth, but similar properties in the area go for in excess of $5 million.
19. Wren House — $5.6 million
Situated within the grounds of Kensington Palace itself, Wren House — named after its designer, Christopher Wren — is a standalone property that has been home to a number of royals.
It comes with an impressive five bedrooms and five reception rooms; and based on local property prices, we can say that it would certainly be worth no less than $5.6 million.
18. Frogmore Cottage — $9.1 million
After being gifted Frogmore Cottage from the Queen, Harry and Megan organized for something like $3 million-worth of renovations.
That was initially fronted by the British taxpayer, but following their decision to step back from royal duties in 2020 the couple decided to pay the sum back. In any case, the house itself is worth plenty more than that when compared to similar properties in the area.
17. The Castle of Mey — $12 million
The Castle of Mey is situated way up in the north of Scotland, and was once home to the Queen’s own mom. Estimates put the value of this place at something close to $12 million.
That’s obviously a lot of money on the surface of things, but it is a castle. Given that, maybe $12 million is something of a bargain?
16. Harry and Meghan’s Santa Barbara home — $14.7 million
Harry and Meghan’s move to America caused quite the stir, so it’s no surprise everyone took such an interest in their new home. Based in Santa Barbara in California, the nine-bedroom property came with a tennis court, tea house, and a pool.
People who live nearby include Gwyneth Paltrow, Ellen, and Oprah. All of that makes the $14.7 million price tag seem about right.
15. Bagshot Park — $34.7 million
With a total of 120 rooms, it should come as no surprise Bagshot Park has been valued into the tens of millions.
Prince Edward took control of the property just before he tied the knot with Sophie Rhys-Jones. The couple still call the place home, as do their kids Louise and James.
14. The Royal Lodge — $40 million
The Royal Lodge is in Windsor, boasting 30 rooms and a whole host of fancy features.
The highlights are probably the indoor pool and the chapel, but in a place worth an estimated $40 million there’s probably much more in there, too. In recent years, the old property has been subject to millions of dollars-worth of renovations.
13. Sandringham House — $64 million
Located in Norfolk, Sandringham House was distinguished for one special reason. It’s said the Queen preferred to spend Christmas there more than any other place.
Seeing as how many options she had at her disposal, the property — with an estimated value of $64 million — must have been pretty incredible. She used to go there for almost every Yuletide holiday season.
12. The Palace of Holyroodhouse — $64 million
The Queen famously loved her Scotland residence of Balmoral, but it wasn’t actually her “official” Scottish house. That honor, in actual fact, goes to the 12th-century Holyroodhouse Palace.
This place is perhaps most famous for its connection to the story of Mary, Queen of Scots, but it was modernized and renovated during the reign of George V.
11. Balmoral Castle — $69 million
The Queen adored Balmoral Castle, which sits on an impressive 50,000 acres. Some reports have even described the property as her “happy place.”
In the late monarch’s own words, “It is impossible to imagine a prettier spot.” Fitting, then, that the Scottish estate ended up being where she spent her final days.
10. Dumfries House — $70 million
Back in 2007 Charles helped to secure the $51 million purchase of Dumfries House in Scotland.
The property has been hailed as one of the most stunning mansions in all of the United Kingdom — a point most certainly reflected by the price tag. Adjusted for inflation, the place would be worth something like $70 million today.
9. Frogmore House — $80 million
A royal property since 1792 Frogmore House is one of a kind.
Queen Charlotte wanted the place so she could get away from things, but it still retains some significance right up to the present day. The property was notably used for Harry and Megan’s wedding reception a few years back.
8. Hillsborough Castle — $81 million
Hillsborough Castle was the official residence of Elizabeth whenever she ventured to Northern Ireland. She used to go on holidays here when she was a child, but she visited as an adult, too.
The building is set upon a massive 100-acre swathe of land, which brings the total value of the estate to an estimated $81 million.
7. Clarence House — $344 million
Built in the 19th century, Clarence House has had some notable royal inhabitants throughout its history. The Queen Mother called it home from 1953 to 2002, but before that Elizabeth and Prince Philip lived there for a stint in the wake of their 1947 wedding.
Charles and Camilla have lived there since 2003, though they’ll be moving out once Buckingham Palace refurbishments are finished, obviously.
6. Birkhall — $371 million
A favorite property of Charles, Birkhall sits on a mind-bogglingly large estate. It’s difficult to say for sure how much this place would be worth, but we can get an idea by taking a look at the area’s average land prices.
Applying those metrics to the incredible 53,000 acres Birkhall sits upon, we’re looking at a figure in the realm of $371 million.
5. Windsor Castle — $575 million
Windsor Castle has a long history stretching back nearly 1,000 years. Initially, the site was used as a military post, but Edward III constructed a castle there in 1350.
He did so at a cost of around $57,000 — which would be something like $70 million nowadays. Still, even that figure doesn’t quite get at the place’s real value today, which is probably more like $575 million.
4. Kensington Palace — $645 million
In recent times, Kensington Palace has been William and Kate’s London abode. But before them, plenty of royals called the enormous property home.
Princess Diana lived in an apartment inside for many years, and Queen Victoria was born in the palace. Many parts of the estate are actually open to the public today.
3. St. James’ Palace — $693 million
St. James’ Palace has long been one of the most important sites of the British monarchy. That should go some way to explaining its enormous $693 million estimated value.
Three centuries of monarchs have lived in the place, right up to Queen Victoria. Nowadays, many high-profile events involving the royals tend to take place there.
2. Hampton Court Palace — $1.1 billion
As the home of Henry VIII, it should come as no surprise just how opulent Hampton Court Palace is. Even so, its estimated worth is mind-boggling. It was constructed in 1514 at a cost of around 200,000 crowns, a currency Henry VIII invented himself! Converted to present-day money, that’s approaching $67 million.
But even that doesn’t come close to the real present-day value: website FT Adviser suggests the palace would actually be worth closer to $1.1 billion.
1. Buckingham Palace — $1.6 billion
It should be no surprise that Buckingham Palace is the most valuable of all the royal properties. It’s known the world over and welcomes countless tourists each year, after all.
Still, the estimated $1.6 billion evaluation is dizzying. But as grand as the palace looks from the outside, the real opulence lies within.
The royal collection
Unsurprisingly, the British royal family own a lot of art pieces. Apparently, they have 7,000 paintings and 450,000 photos, plus sculptures, literature, weaponry, carriages – virtually anything you can name.
An area of Buckingham Palace called the Queen’s Gallery hosts some of these artworks, and the public can go in to see them.
The State Dining Room
If you’re lucky enough to ever eat at Buckingham Palace, you’re in luck. Not only will you dine among luxury, but virtually any food you wish for is available for your pleasure.
The Queen herself reportedly kept Special K and Tabasco sauce in her larders. She also had a steady supply of fancy chocolate and nuts kept for her.
Royal nanny
It probably goes without saying that the royal family have hired a lot of nannies over the years. The nanny for the Cambridge children is a woman called Maria Teresa Turrion Borrallo.
She was hired by Prince William and Kate Middleton in 2014. This photo shows her holding a cheeky Prince George inside Buckingham Palace.
Palace ghost
A building as old as Buckingham Palace surely couldn’t not be haunted. More to the point, there’s a story of one suicide in the palace. This was Major John Gwynne, the private secretary to King Edward VIII.
After causing a scandal by divorcing his wife, he ended up shooting himself inside his office. Now, rumor has it that a ghostly gunshot can still be heard echoing from that room.
The most important room
The most honored guests at the palace – people like President Obama and Angelina Jolie – are entertained in a special place called the 1844 Room, which can be reset for both audiences and meals.
It’s known by this name because the royals received Tsar Nicholas I there in 1844. And it’s positively luxurious in every way.
The royal clocks
You’ll never need to wear a watch or look at a smartphone if you’re invited to Buckingham Palace. There are clocks everywhere. There are, in fact, at least 350 of them.
And it falls to one person – the horological conservator – to maintain them all and make sure every last one displays the correct time.
King George’s parrot
A slightly unusual animal once lived at Buckingham Palace – King George V’s pet parrot Charlotte. He was utterly devoted to the bird.
She would sit near him at dinner, pecking at seeds while everybody else ate their meal. And even while the king attended to official business, she would sometimes sit on his shoulder.
The secret ATM
Not many people know that there’s an ATM hidden in the basement of Buckingham Palace, but there is.
Members of the royal family – but nobody else – can go down there and pick up cash from the ATM whenever they need some. All of it, of course, has the monarch’s face on it.
Fans breaking in
In 1965 the members of the Beatles all picked up MBEs from Buckingham Palace. At the time, it was the height of Beatlemania, and fans of the band even tried climbing the gates to get a glimpse of them.
But they wouldn’t have gotten far. Not only do guardsmen patrol the area around the palace, the Metropolitan Police are also on hand.
Royal communications
There’s an official website for the royal family, and naturally the palace staff have emails like everyone else. But Buckingham Palace also has its very own post office.
Which makes a lot of sense – you wouldn’t expect a royal to go and line up with sensitive mail in a regular store. Oh, and the staff are also allowed to utilize the in-house postal services.
Impressive royal gardens
The Buckingham Palace gardens are, of course, utterly beautiful. But something people might not know is that it’s host to over 25 different varieties of Britain’s national flower, the rose. One is even named after Prince William!
The people who grow the multitudes of roses are the palace’s live-in gardeners, who work to keep the gardens to the highest possible standard.
Christmas at the palace
The way the royal family celebrates Christmas isn’t quite what you would expect. Apparently, they give each other joke gifts – and the more ridiculous, the better.
Apparently, in 2013 Prince Harry got his grandmother a shower cap with “Ain’t life a b****” on it. Another year, Meghan Markle is said to have gotten her a musical hamster toy.
The famous balcony
If you want to spot a royal, they tend to appear on the Buckingham Palace balcony for special occasions such as weddings. That balcony’s been around for a long time.
It was built by Queen Victoria during her reign, specifically for the purpose of greeting the public. The first time it was used, it was to wave goodbye to Crimean War soldiers.
The palace zip code
Visitors to Buckingham Palace probably wouldn’t ever have difficulty finding the place. Not only is it obviously a world-famous historical landmark, it’s also so big that it actually has its own zip code.
Its designation is SW1A 1AAA. And houses within the SW1 postal code are considered some of the swankiest in London.
Ghosts of the distant past
Long before Buckingham Palace was built, an old story goes, there was a monastery on the grounds – and one of the monks is still there to this day.
According to some, this monk was imprisoned in a cell for some crime and passed away behind bars. Now, he supposedly pops up at night sometimes, wearing a cowl and rattling a ghostly chain.
The underwear thief
One fascinating story about Buckingham Palace involves a teenager called Edward Jones.
Back in 1838 – when security at the palace was far from what it is now – he developed a habit of sneaking in and eventually made off with some pairs of Queen Victoria’s underwear. The incident caused enough outcry to get new guards employed.
The Queen’s private rooms
There are a lot of rooms in Buckingham Palace, and naturally the monarch has their choice of any of them.
But according to people who have worked within the residence, the Queen actually only used six rooms in the entire place. These were apparently her bathroom, dressing room, bedroom, sitting room, a waiting room, and the Audience Room.
The hidden river
Buckingham Palace has its secrets, but perhaps the one of the most interesting is the hidden River Tyburn that flows beneath it. This waterway goes under the palace courtyard and its south wing.
However, it’s considered to be more of a sewer these days, so perhaps it would be more accurate to say that Buckingham Palace has a secret sewer.
The palace chandeliers
In many photographs of the Buckingham Palace interior, you can see a chandelier. There are so many of them, so you might wonder how on earth they stay lit and maintained?
Well, in the olden days, King George IV kept a staff of 30 workers purely for the sake of chandelier-lighting. Nowadays, however, things are a little different. Remote controls can lower the chandeliers down towards the ground.
The Grand Staircase
It only makes sense that a place such as Buckingham Palace would have something called the Grand Staircase within it. It’s among the first thing people see when entering the palace.
The beautiful creation is made from marble, covered in red carpet, and as guests climb the stairs, they see portraits of royals from times past.
Hidden items in the ground
In 2006, as part of her 80th birthday celebrations, the Queen opened up the Buckingham Palace gardens to the archeology TV show Time Team. It was called “the Big Royal Dig.”
The archeologists found some interesting things, including a Mesolithic blade, a pipe made of clay, and a diamond earring from Queen Victoria’s era.
Disaster response
This picture shows the Queen hosting an Emergency Services & Disaster Response Reception, but she herself had had to use those services before. In 2002 a fire broke out at Buckingham Palace, apparently starting in a disused toilet.
Nobody was hurt, but it was surely a sobering thought that all that history could have been wiped out in a matter of hours if things had really gone wrong.
A throne room
Buckingham Palace naturally has a throne room – but it’s not really used for its original purpose. Inside, there are monogrammed chairs for both Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip.
However, the Queen only ever actually sat on her throne in 1953, on the day of her coronation. Now the throne room is used simply to host special events at the palace.
3D technology
Buckingham Palace does embrace new ideas. After all, Prince Albert introduced heating and lighting to the palace in the 19th century – and at the time those were exciting things.
So, in 2012 it was agreed that the Queen would deliver her Christmas speech in 3D with the help of Sky. It wasn’t well received. Newspaper The Guardian said it was “squarely in the realm of gimmick.”
Royal toilets
It’s not a thing to speak about in polite conversation with a royal, but obviously Buckingham Palace has bathrooms. And it has a lot of them, in fact.
Apparently, the total number of bathrooms in the palace is 78, which means that it’s unlikely that any member of the royal family or their will be caught short.
The Golden Jubilee Concert
For her Golden Jubilee in 2002, the Queen opened up the grounds of Buckingham Palace for a concert. It was advertised as one of the biggest gigs Britain would ever see, and interest was intense.
Winners of a lottery were allowed inside the palace gardens, but at least a million more gathered outside. And Brian May played “God Save The Queen” from the roof.
The Chinese Luncheon Room
Inside Buckingham Palace is a room once called the Chinese Luncheon Room. It’s packed full of furniture taken from the Royal Pavilion in Brighton, most of it done in a “Chinoiserie” manner.
This is a Western form inspired by Chinese styles. This room has a new name now – it’s referred to as, simply, the Centre Room.
Strange palace gifts
Some pretty odd things have been sent to Buckingham Palace as gifts over the years.
These include a grasshopper-shaped wine cooler, a bed for dogs in the shape of a crown, and a figurine of her son Charles standing with kids’ character Postman Pat. In 2017 the palace held an exhibition of some of the most noteworthy gifts.
Buckingham Palace births
Both Charles and Prince Andrew were born within the walls of Buckingham Palace. Charles was born after 30 hours of labor, and Prince Philip wasn’t present – he was off playing squash somewhere else.
When Prince Andrew was born in 1960, he was baptized in the palace’s Music Room like his brother had been.
Fossils in the walls
Buckingham Palace was built using something called Oolitic limestone, but nobody knew back then what properties the rock had.
In 2017 it transpired that the limestone was formed over millions of years around the bodies of microorganisms. That meant that there were miniature fossils packed into the walls of the palace.
Royal banquet
At Buckingham Palace, banquets are a big deal. In fact, they can be apparently planned out at least a year in advance by the Master of the Household and their staff.
Thousands of glass and silver pieces have to be carefully polished, every dish is prepared from scratch, and the Queen used to get final say over the smallest of details.
Lying in state
A royal funeral isn’t quite like a regular one. When a king or queen passes away, their body lies in state so people can come and pay their respects.
King Edward VII passed away on May 6, 1910, and his body was kept at Buckingham Palace until May 17. Reportedly, this was partly because his widow adamantly refused to let him be moved.
Garden party sandwiches
Each year, the Queen would host around three garden get-togethers, and guests would get to come in and experience the Buckingham Palace grounds. Some of the luckier ones might even have gotten to talk the Queen or another royal.
According to the British Monarchist Foundation, 20,000 sandwiches get eaten during the course of one of these events.
Alleged secret tunnels
It’s long been rumored that beneath Buckingham Palace there exists a secret system of tunnels. Some say that they’re linked to the Houses of Parliament, others say they connect to Clarence House.
But it seems that if anyone knows for certain, they’re not sharing it with the media. It’s a claim that remains unconfirmed but plausible.
Buckingham Palace surgery
Royals don’t necessarily have to go to hospital if they don’t want to. There just so happens to be a fully operational surgery within the palace walls. All that’s needed is for a doctor to arrive.
This was what happened when King George battled cancer in 1951. Surgeons attended to him inside the palace, so news of his ill health wouldn’t get out.
Very important dogs
The late Queen’s pets were apparently treated with the utmost respect, and that means they had virtually free run of Buckingham Palace. Guests visiting the palace could expect to see adorable little corgis running around.
And in case any of the animals had accidents, there was cleaning equipment strategically hidden around the palace.
Buckingham Palace in the war
Britain was hit hard during World War II, and Buckingham Palace wasn’t spared. In fact, its royal residents were lucky to escape with their lives.
The palace was hit on nine occasions, with one bomb completely leveling the Palace Chapel building. Just a few hours prior to that, members of the royal family had been inside it.
The royal intruder
In 1982 there was a dramatic failing in Buckingham Palace’s security. An intruder named Michael Fagan made it into Buckingham Palace and found his way to the Queen’s room.
The story goes that the Queen stalled the unwelcome guest by talking to him, but Fagan himself claims she instantly ran off. Though no-one was hurt, it was an incredibly embarrassing incident for the guards.
The sheer amount of rooms
Buckingham Palace is massive and lots of people sleep there. To be exact, the palace contains 52 bedrooms for royals and their guests, and 188 bedrooms for the staff.
Oh, and there’s a cafeteria, a cinema, and a pool. If the royals didn’t live there, it would make a great luxury hotel!
The hidden door
Believe it or not, Buckingham Palace has a real, Hogwarts-style hidden passage within its walls. In the White Drawing Room – created by John Nash back in 1899 – there’s a secret door behind one of the massive mirrors which leads to the Queen’s quarters.
The ornaments around it are glued down so they won’t fall off when the door opens. Imagine what it would be like to go in there…