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When Prince Charles got promoted to King Charles III back in 2022, he didn’t just inherit the throne—he also inherited a huge number of fancy estates. Thanks to Charles being Britain’s reigning monarch, he immediately got access to several houses/palaces/castles owned by the Crown, and he continues to expand his real estate portfolio, having purchased the property right next to Queen Camilla’s Ray Mill House for a little under $4 million in March 2025.
So…where does King Charles live now and what does he do with his many other properties? Let’s start with the place on everyone’s mind, shall we?
Buckingham Palace
- Location: London, England
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This property is technically owned by the Crown, meaning Charles gets to use it as part of his role as monarch (and it’ll eventually pass to Prince William, then Prince George, etc., etc.). However! Since it’s currently undergoing a major, long-term renovation that is not expected to be completed until 2027, Charles doesn’t use Buckingham Palace as his primary residence…and apparently, he never intended to.
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A look at the palace from above, just in case you were wondering how massive it is.
As a source previously told the Sunday Times, Charles is “no fan of ‘the big house,’ as he calls the palace. He doesn’t see it as a viable future home or a house that’s fit for purpose in the modern world. He feels that its upkeep, both from a cost and environmental perspective, is not sustainable.”
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The royals chilling at the palace back in the day—that’s future King Charles on the left next to Princess Anne (her hair!).
Per the insider, Charles hopes to open up more of Buckingham Palace to the public, noting, “Charles wants to bring people in to connect with the institution. He recognizes it needs to keep evolving, and in the modern era people want to be able to access their palaces. He embraces that and sees them as public places more than private spaces.”
Windsor Castle
- Location: Berkshire, England
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The Queen used to spend a lot of time at Windsor Castle on weekends, but since her death, Windsor Castle has remained unoccupied as a residence, with King Charles using it for official ceremonies and state functions. That said, there used to be speculation that Prince William and Kate Middleton would eventually move into “the Big House” (as its known), but instead, they settled in Adelaide Cottage (which is nearby Windsor Castle on the Windsor estate).
Wills and Kate moved into Adelaide Cottage in 2022 to be closer to the late Queen in her final months, but now, they’re getting ready to move into their “forever home” Forest Lodge. Per a Daily Mail source: “Adelaide Cottage really does have some difficult memories associated with it, sadly. They have experienced some of their most challenging times there… The family are really happy about this [move] and excited for a fresh start.”
FYI, Charles spent much of his childhood at Windsor. Scroll down for a photo of him playing with a literal canon.
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Anyway, considering this is the energy inside Windsor Castle, it’s not exactly shocking that William and Kate opted for something more chill:
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Holyroodhouse Palace
- Location: Edinburgh, Scotland
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Like Buckingham Palace and Windsor Castle, this property is also owned by the Crown and is the monarch’s formal home in Scotland. The royals primarily stay at Balmoral when they’re in the country (we’ll get to that in a minute), but Holyroodhouse is where official events take place, and that didn’t change when Charles became King. Here’s a look at the interior:
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And a closer look at the massive grounds:
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Hillsborough Castle
- Location: Hillsborough, Northern Ireland
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This is the monarch’s castle in Northern Ireland, and it’s technically a modest “country home” but looks like it’s straight out of Downton Abbey. Charles uses this for official visits to the country, like that visit he made back in 2022 where his pen famously leaked everywhere.
Sandringham House
- Location: Norfolk, England
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This private property was originally purchased by King Edward VII, was passed down to Queen Elizabeth II by her father, and now belongs to Charles. The royals traditionally spend Christmas in Sandringham, which is where their annual walk takes place (always an iconic time for body language experts). Ahem:
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While Charles will likely keep Sandringham in the family, the Daily Mail previously reported there were “talks” the Norfolk home could be opened up to the public.
Here are the interior vibes, 1970s style:
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Balmoral Castle
- Location: Aberdeenshire, Scotland
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Balmoral Castle is the King’s Scottish residence and is also privately owned by the royals. The castle was purchased by Queen Victoria’s husband Prince Albert, and fun/weird fact: It’s where Charles and Princess Diana went on honeymoon:
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Prior to becoming King, Charles already had a home on the estate called Birkhall, and apparently, he wants to give the public much greater access to the property. A source previously told the Daily Mail, “The talk is of opening a museum paying tribute to the Queen.”
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Charles’s place, Birkhall
Highgrove House
- Location: Gloucestershire, England
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Highgrove is King Charles’s country home, which is owned by the Duchy of Cornwall. And now that Prince William is Duke of Cornwall, he’s technically his dad’s landlord, and Charles has to pay him £700,000 a year in rent.
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Clarence House
- Location: London, England
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Clarence House was Charles and Camilla’s official London home prior to Charles becoming King (they first moved in following the Queen Mother’s death in 2003), and they still use it as their primary residence while in London today. Located next to St. James’s Palace and just blocks from Buckingham Palace, the residence is not actually owned by the monarch but rather belongs to the Crown Estate.
There was previously talk of letting Prince Harry and Meghan Markle use the home, but that plan was abandoned once they moved to California. Meanwhile, the Daily Mail previously reported, “No one is terribly fond of Clarence House because it’s still seen very much as the Queen Mother’s place,” so it’ll probably go to Prince George, Princess Charlotte, or Prince Louis once they are older.
Old Mill House
- Location: Wiltshire, England
In March 2025, Charles personally acquired the property adjacent to Camilla’s Ray Mill House (which she bought following her divorce from Andrew Parker-Bowles) for a little over $4 million. At the time, a source for the Daily Mail explained that there was “an imperative” for Charles to buy because a potential buyer wanted to “maximize commercial use of the property as a short-term holiday rental and wedding venue.”
They added that Charles will make sure the Old Mill has a “security-vetted tenant,” noting, “The new arrangement is a pragmatic solution, being both a sound financial investment and a way of maintaining Her Majesty’s privacy, protection and continued enjoyment of her much-loved home, without any public funds being used. I know how grateful and relieved she is, not least given all the additional stresses and anxieties of the past year.”