Being king comes with crowns, but it also comes with lots of keys! Did you know that King Charles III’s properties sprawl across palaces, castles, farmhouses, cottages, and restored retreats? It’s also true that much of what Charles “owns” is held in right of the Crown, but the sheer scale is still jaw-dropping.
So here’s a tour of the properties King Charles has owned or inherited. Let’s go.
1) The palace everyone knows, but the king doesn’t love
Details of Buckingham Palace from the weekend pic.twitter.com/JwK9Pb3sbw
— theoldbuilding (@theoldbuilding) August 24, 2021
Buckingham Palace is the Crown Estate’s most famous address, but it’s not Charles’ favorite at all. As it is costly to maintain, this palace works more as a tourist magnet than a home. Sources also say that Charles doesn’t want to live there due to cost and environmental concerns.
Other Crown Estates include Windsor Castle, Holyrood Palace in Edinburgh, and St James’s Palace. These are all “owned” by the monarch on behalf of the nation.
2) What Charles inherited from the Queen
When Queen Elizabeth II passed in 2022, two of her precious private estates went directly to her eldest son. These include Sandringham House in Norfolk and Balmoral Castle in Scotland.
Sandringham is the traditional royal Christmas gathering spot, so it’s lived-in, with almost no royal formality. Balmoral was the late Queen’s happiest place, and younger royals agree with that.
3) Highgrove is where Charles’s heart lives
King Charles and the Beckhams enjoyed a chat at the dinner to promote Anglo-Italian relations held at Highgrove House. pic.twitter.com/2bJ0UT3UHI
— Helen Rosa (@HelenRosamond11) February 7, 2025
Charles had bought this Gloucestershire estate in 1980 and has by now made it his personal Eden. There are solar panels, natural water filtration, and interiors by decorator Robert Kime. The estate has 15 acres of gardens (a walled vegetable patch, pergola, and sculpted topiary) that Charles described as a form of worship.
Prince William now leases the place, though.
4) Eco-dreams in Wales
Llwynywermod was once Charles’ Welsh farmhouse before sustainability was trendy. It has been built from local materials and powered by wood-chip boilers and rainwater systems. The place is furnished with Welsh pieces, but Charles relinquished it after becoming king.
5) Kensington Palace
Kensington Palace housing multiple relatives, including the Prince and Princess of Wales. So it is somewhat of a public museum too. The Sunken Garden had even made Princess Diana a fan.
As of now, King Charles holds it on behalf of the nation.
6) The King’s Foundation
Charles oversees some properties through the King’s Foundation. These include Dumfries House in Ayrshire and the Castle of Mey. The former is an 18th-century estate with Chippendale furniture. The Queen Mother restored the latter and expanded with a sustainably built B&B.
These properties are a heritage preservation project at this point.
7) Some romance in Romania
A new photograph of Queen Camilla has been released to celebrate the fifth anniversary of The Queen’s Reading Room. Taken in July at Raymill, her private Wiltshire home, Her Majesty is seen seated on steps reading The Grey Wolf by Louise Penny.
📸 Chris Jackson pic.twitter.com/3ezjiw6RdO
— Jordan (@JordanNelson64) January 8, 2026
Thanks to Charles’s love for Queen Camilla, he purchased this property in 2025. Turns out he reportedly bought the neighboring property, also, for her, Ray Mill House, to protect her privacy and to be a bit more romantic!
His Romanian homes in Viscri and Zălan Valley already prove his passion for traditional architecture and slow living.
8) The places he barely uses, but the grandkids love
The Hillsborough Castle in Northern Ireland was refurbished to Charles’s taste, yet he rarely uses it. On the other hand, Dolphin House on the Isles of Scilly is a family favorite as William and Catherine’s children love the car-free beachy spot.
Prince William, Prince of Wales, shares a special moment with his children—Prince George, Princess Charlotte, and Prince Louis—showing the bond, love, and joy of modern royal parenting. pic.twitter.com/4zHVourmx4
— The Prince and Princess of Wales Fan (@walesfam2025) January 7, 2026
What we mentioned before and must remember again is that much of this vast portfolio comes with unique rules.
The Guardian reports that under a 1993 agreement, assets passed “sovereign to sovereign” are exempt from inheritance tax. So, while Charles pays income tax, the properties he holds in right of the Crown can’t be sold off.
