Royal castles

Her Late Majesty Queen Elizabeth II owned many stately homes, palaces and castles but she only lived in a few of them. Below you can find more information on some of the royal palaces and castles where Queen Elizabeth II spent her time.

Buckingham Palace

This is probably the most famous of Her Majesty's palaces. It is the one she went to for celebrations, appearing on the balcony to wave at the crowds of people who gathered to see her.

Buckingham Palace is situated in the heart of London, the capital city of the United Kingdom. The first ruling monarch to live there was Queen Victoria, Her Majesty’s great, great grandmother who moved in in 1837. It has 775 rooms including 78 bathrooms. The palace also has 760 windows that have to be cleaned every six weeks.

 

Windsor Castle

Windsor Castle is a royal residence at Windsor in the English county of Berkshire. It is the oldest and largest inhabited castle in the world and has been the family home of British kings and queens for almost 1,000 years.

The original castle was built soon after the Battle of Hastings in 1066 but it has been altered and rebuilt so much by the 40 different monarchs who have lived there that it now has almost 1,000 rooms.

Today, more than 500 people live and work in Windsor Castle. As well as chefs, butlers and gardeners there is also a librarian and a fendersmith who looks after the castle's 300 fireplaces.

 

Holyrood Palace

This palace is located in Edinburgh, Scotland and is where Her Majesty went for Holyrood Week which usually takes place at the end of June or the beginning of July. During this time Her Majesty celebrated Scottish culture, achievement, and community. It has been a palace since the 16th Century, but it has been in existence since the 12th century. It was initially built to serve as a monastery, by King David I of Scotland in 1128. The over ten-acre property has over 280 rooms! And is home to all the gifts George V received for his silver jubilee, over 3,000 pieces of silver in total.

 

Balmoral Castle

Balmoral Castle is a royal residence in Aberdeenshire, Scotland and is where Her Majesty usually spent the summer. The estate is surrounded by countryside and Her Majesty enjoyed relaxing there spending time walking in the Highlands and having picnics with her family and all her dogs. The original Balmoral Castle was built as a hunting lodge around 1390 by King Robert II of Scotland. The new house, as we know it today, was built between 1853 and 1855.

 

Sandringham House

Sandringham House is in Norfolk, England. It was built in 1870 by The Prince and Princess of Wales, who later became King Edward VII and Queen Alexandra and became the place where Elizabeth II and her family usually spent Christmas. In 1957, Her Majesty also gave her first televised Christmas message from Sandringham. In the years since, became a tradition for Her Majesty to appear on TV to wish the nation a Happy Christmas.