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When Prince Charles got promoted to King Charles III<\/a> back in 2022, he didn\u2019t just inherit the throne\u2014he also inherited a huge number of fancy estates. Thanks to Charles being Britain\u2019s 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\u2019s Ray Mill House for a little under $4 million<\/a> in March 2025. <\/p>\n So…where does King Charles live now and what does he do with his many other properties? Let\u2019s start with the place on everyone\u2019s mind, shall we?<\/p>\n Buckingham Palace<\/p>\n Pawel Libera\/\/Getty Images<\/p>\n This property is technically owned by the Crown, meaning Charles gets to use it as part of his role as monarch (and it\u2019ll eventually pass to Prince William, then Prince George, etc., etc.). However! Since it\u2019s currently undergoing a major, long-term renovation that is not expected to be completed until 2027, Charles doesn\u2019t use Buckingham Palace as his primary residence…and apparently, he never intended to<\/a>. <\/p>\n A look at the palace from above, just in case you were wondering how massive it is.<\/p>\n As a source previously told the Sunday Times<\/a>, Charles is \u201cno fan of \u2018the big house,\u2019 as he calls the palace. He doesn\u2019t see it as a viable future home or a house that\u2019s fit for purpose in the modern world. He feels that its upkeep, both from a cost and environmental perspective, is not sustainable.\u201d <\/p>\n The royals chilling at the palace back in the day\u2014that\u2019s future King Charles on the left next to Princess Anne (her hair!).<\/p>\n Per the insider, Charles hopes to open up more of Buckingham Palace to the public, noting, \u201cCharles 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.\u201d <\/p>\n Windsor Castle<\/p>\n Chris Jackson\/\/Getty Images<\/p>\n 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 \u201cthe Big House\u201d (as its known), but instead, they settled in Adelaide Cottage<\/a> (which is nearby Windsor Castle on the Windsor estate).<\/p>\n Wills and Kate moved into Adelaide Cottage in 2022 to be closer to the late Queen in her final months, but now, they\u2019re getting ready to move into their \u201cforever home\u201d Forest Lodge<\/a>. Per a Daily Mail<\/a> source: \u201cAdelaide 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.\u201d<\/p>\n FYI, Charles spent much of his childhood at Windsor. Scroll down for a photo of him playing with a literal canon.<\/p>\n Bettmann\/\/Getty Images<\/p>\n Hulton Archive\/\/Getty Images<\/p>\n Fox Photos\/\/Getty Images<\/p>\n Anyway, considering this is the energy inside Windsor Castle, it\u2019s not exactly shocking that William and Kate opted for something more chill:<\/p>\n Tim Graham\/\/Getty Images<\/p>\n Holyroodhouse Palace<\/p>\n Tim Graham\/\/Getty Images<\/p>\n Like Buckingham Palace and Windsor Castle, this property is also owned by the Crown and is the monarch\u2019s formal home in Scotland. The royals primarily stay at Balmoral<\/a> when they\u2019re in the country (we\u2019ll get to that in a minute), but Holyroodhouse is where official events take place, and that didn\u2019t change when Charles became King. Here\u2019s a look at the interior:<\/p>\n WPA Pool\/\/Getty Images<\/p>\n And a closer look at the massive grounds:<\/p>\n DEA \/ M. BORCHI\/\/Getty Images<\/p>\n Hillsborough Castle<\/p>\n Samir Hussein\/\/Getty Images<\/p>\n This is the monarch\u2019s castle in Northern Ireland, and it\u2019s technically a modest \u201ccountry home\u201d but looks like it\u2019s straight out of Downton Abbey<\/a>. Charles uses this for official visits to the country, like that visit he made back in 2022 where his pen famously leaked everywhere<\/a>. <\/p>\n Sandringham House<\/p>\n Radcliffe\/Bauer-Griffin\/\/Getty Images<\/p>\n 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<\/a> takes place (always an iconic time for body language experts). Ahem:<\/p>\n Stephen Pond\/\/Getty Images<\/p>\n While Charles will likely keep Sandringham in the family, the Daily Mail<\/a> previously reported there were \u201ctalks\u201d the Norfolk home could be opened up to the public. <\/p>\n Here are the interior vibes, 1970s style:<\/p>\n Hulton Archive\/\/Getty Images<\/p>\n Balmoral Castle<\/p>\n Tim Graham\/\/Getty Images<\/p>\n Balmoral Castle<\/a> is the King\u2019s Scottish residence and is also privately owned by the royals. The castle was purchased by Queen Victoria\u2019s husband Prince Albert, and fun\/weird fact: It\u2019s where Charles and Princess Diana<\/a> went on honeymoon:<\/p>\n Central Press\/\/Getty Images<\/p>\n 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<\/a>, \u201cThe talk is of opening a museum paying tribute to the Queen.\u201d Charles\u2019s place, Birkhall<\/p>\n Highgrove House<\/p>\n Mirrorpix\/\/Getty Images<\/p>\n Highgrove is King Charles\u2019s country home, which is owned by the Duchy of Cornwall<\/a>. And now that Prince William is Duke of Cornwall, he\u2019s technically his dad\u2019s landlord, and Charles has to pay him \u00a3700,000 a year in rent<\/a>.<\/p>\n Tim Graham\/\/Getty Images<\/p>\n Clarence House<\/p>\n Tim Graham\/\/Getty Images<\/p>\n Clarence House was Charles and Camilla\u2019s official London home prior to Charles becoming King (they first moved in following the Queen Mother\u2019s death in 2003), and they still use it as their primary residence while in London today. Located next to St. James\u2019s Palace and just blocks from Buckingham Palace, the residence is not actually owned by the monarch but rather belongs to the Crown Estate. <\/p>\n 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<\/a> previously reported, \u201cNo one is terribly fond of Clarence House because it\u2019s still seen very much as the Queen Mother\u2019s place,\u201d so it\u2019ll probably go to Prince George, Princess Charlotte, or Prince Louis once they are older. Old Mill House<\/p>\n\n
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Heritage Images\/\/Getty Images<\/p>\n![\"anniversary](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/the-british-royal-family-pose-for-a-group-portrait-at-news-photo-1663086848.jpg\" "\\"Anniversary")
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Central Press\/\/Getty Images<\/p>\n\n
![\"prince](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/prince-charles-is-interviewed-by-members-of-the-welsh-press-news-photo-1663087637.jpg\" "\\"Prince")
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