The Queen of England, Queen Elizabeth II, is one of the most prominent public figures in the world. As the constitutional monarch of the United Kingdom and head of the Commonwealth, she owns an extensive portfolio of property and land. This includes numerous royal residences and mansions across the UK. But exactly how many mansions does Queen Elizabeth II own?
Quick Answer
The Queen owns at least 10 mansions across the United Kingdom. Her main London residence is Buckingham Palace, but she also owns Windsor Castle, Sandringham House, Balmoral Castle, and Holyrood Palace. Her other mansions include Hillsborough Castle, Clarence House, Craigowan Lodge, and the Palace of Holyroodhouse. The Crown Estate also manages several other royal mansions and palaces.
Royal Residences of Queen Elizabeth II
As the reigning British monarch, Queen Elizabeth II has access to and resides in numerous lavish properties and estates throughout the United Kingdom. Her main residences include:
Buckingham Palace
Buckingham Palace in London has been the official London residence of British monarchs since 1837. The palace has 775 rooms, including 52 royal and guest bedrooms, 188 staff bedrooms, 92 offices, and 78 bathrooms. The palace is one of the largest mansions owned by the Queen with floor space of 77,000 square metres. The mansion’s lavish state rooms are used regularly by the Queen to receive and entertain guests on state, ceremonial, and official occasions.
Windsor Castle
Windsor Castle, located just outside of London, is the largest occupied castle in the world. This royal mansion has an area of approximately 13 acres and contains over 1,000 rooms. Windsor Castle has been used by British monarchs for over 900 years and is still frequently used by the Queen today as both a private home and as the location for formal state events and banquets.
Sandringham House
Sandringham House in Norfolk has been a private home of British monarchs since 1862. This mansion was purchased by Queen Victoria for her son, the future King Edward VII. Queen Elizabeth spends the anniversary of her father’s death and her Accession Day here every year. The 20,000 acre estate also includes York Cottage, which was once used by her father George VI.
Balmoral Castle
The Queen spends summer holidays at Balmoral Castle in Aberdeenshire, Scotland. The large estate spans approximately 50,000 acres and has been a Scottish home to British monarchs since 1852. The castle itself has over 150 rooms and was originally purchased by Queen Victoria and Prince Albert. Queen Elizabeth typically spends August through October at her Balmoral residence.
Holyrood Palace
The Palace of Holyroodhouse in Edinburgh is the official Scottish residence of the Queen. When visiting Scotland, she resides at this mansion built around Holyrood Abbey. The abbey was founded in 1128, but construction on the palace itself did not begin until the early 1500s. Today the palace covers an area of over 12 acres and contains roughly 250 rooms.
Hillsborough Castle
Located in Northern Ireland, Hillsborough Castle serves as the Queen’s official Northern Irish residence. Hillsborough Castle was originally built in the 18th century and today has approximately 120 rooms. When visiting Northern Ireland, the Queen will often stay here or at her 20,000 acre estate at Castle of Mey in Scotland.
Clarence House
Clarence House, located near Buckingham Palace, was built between 1825 and 1827. Today it serves as the official London residence of the Prince of Wales and Duchess of Cornwall. But Queen Elizabeth lived at Clarence House between the years 1953 and 2002 after inheriting the mansion. The four-story house contains approximately eight bedrooms, three reception rooms, three bathrooms, and a kitchen.
Craigowan Lodge
The Queen privately owns Craigowan Lodge on the Balmoral estate in Scotland. She lived in this seven-bedroom stone mansion when she was still a princess prior to her coronation in 1952. Today, Craigowan Lodge is frequently used by visiting family and friends of the royal family when staying on the Balmoral estate.
The Palace of Holyroodhouse
In addition to being the Queen’s official Scottish residence, the Palace of Holyroodhouse is also one of her privately owned mansions. Holyroodhouse Palace contains roughly 14 historic state apartments that are open to the public today. But the north-west tower still contains private residential rooms used by the Queen and her family when in Scotland.
Other Royal Residences
In addition to her main mansions, Queen Elizabeth II has access to numerous other lavish royal residences through the Crown Estate. While not privately owned, these still serve as stately homes where the Queen entertains and accommodates heads of state and distinguished guests:
St James’s Palace
St James’s Palace in London was built between 1531 to 1536 by King Henry VIII. While no longer the official residence of the monarch, it is still used regularly today for receptions, addresses, and ceremonies by Queen Elizabeth II. The palace also contains the London residences of Princess Anne and Princess Alexandra.
Kensington Palace
Originally built in 1605, Kensington Palace also resides in central London. This royal residence contains private apartments where several members of the Royal Family reside, including the Duke and Duchess of Gloucester, the Duke and Duchess of Kent, and Prince and Princess Michael of Kent.
Hampton Court Palace
Hampton Court Palace in Richmond upon Thames houses a number of royal apartments still used by members of the royal family today. Currently, the Duke and Duchess of York have private accommodation there. It served as a royal residence from the 16th century until the reign of George III and contains roughly 1,000 rooms.
Table of Royal Residences
| Name | Location | Details |
|---|---|---|
| Buckingham Palace | London | Official London residence since 1837, approx. 775 rooms |
| Windsor Castle | Windsor | Largest occupied castle in world, approx. 1,000 rooms |
| Sandringham House | Norfolk | Country retreat purchased in 1862, multiple cottages |
| Balmoral Castle | Aberdeenshire, Scotland | 50,000 acre estate, 150+ rooms, purchased in 1852 |
| Holyrood Palace | Edinburgh, Scotland | Official Scottish residence, approx. 250 rooms |
| Hillsborough Castle | Northern Ireland | Official Northern Irish residence, approx. 120 rooms |
| Clarence House | London | Official residence of Prince of Wales, approx. 8 bedrooms |
| Craigowan Lodge | Aberdeenshire, Scotland | Private home on Balmoral estate, 7 bedrooms |
| Palace of Holyroodhouse | Edinburgh, Scotland | Official Scottish residence, approx. 14 state apartments |
Private Estates Owned by the Queen
In addition to lavish royal residences, Queen Elizabeth II also privately owns two large country estates:
Sandringham Estate
The Sandringham Estate in Norfolk spans approximately 8,000 hectares (20,000 acres) of land. Along with Sandringham House, it also includes York Cottage and several other houses. The estate has been passed down through generations of British monarchs since the 1860s. It requires a large permanent staff to maintain the house, gardens, and wider estate.
Balmoral Estate
At over 20,000 hectares (50,000 acres), Balmoral Estate in Scotland is even larger than Sandringham. It contains forests, farmland, and the Queen’s private residence of Balmoral Castle. The Crown Estate owns and manages land and properties in Scotland, while Balmoral and Sandringham remain private property of Queen Elizabeth II.
Crown Estate Lands and Properties
While Queen Elizabeth owns properties like Balmoral and Sandringham outright, she does not privately own many other royal sites. The Crown Estate is an independent corporation that manages land and properties belonging to the British monarch. The vast portfolio includes:
– Urban properties and office space across the UK worth £11.4 billion
– The entirety of Regent Street in London
– Around 50% of shoreline in England, Wales, and Northern Ireland
– Farms and agricultural holdings of 280,000 acres
– Forestry and woodland spanning 190,000 acres
– Wind farms and other renewable energy assets
– Aquaculture rights to fish and shellfish
– Substantial amounts of underground infrastructure
Overall, the Crown Estate holds property assets valued at over £14 billion. While not privately owned by the Queen, profits from the Crown Estate do provide income that supports her role as monarch.
Estimated Total Value of Assets
Estimates placed the Queen’s private wealth at around £350 million in 2016. However, the true extent of assets owned by the monarch is unclear since many are not sold on the open market. The Crown Estate holdings alone dwarf her personal fortune. If you add up the value of Crown Estate assets, the Queen’s private estates, her private investment portfolio, art collection, jewels and valuables, and other assets, a more realistic estimate likely places her total wealth at around £20 billion.
Conclusion
In summary, Queen Elizabeth II owns at least 10 lavish royal mansions across the United Kingdom. Her main London residence is Buckingham Palace with 775 rooms. Other royal mansions she frequently resides in or uses for state business include Windsor Castle, Sandringham House, Balmoral Castle, and Holyrood Palace. She also privately owns estates at Balmoral and Sandringham. While not her private property, the Queen has access to numerous other royal residences managed by the Crown Estate worth over £14 billion. When all her assets are totaled, Queen Elizabeth II has an estimated personal net worth around £20 billion. She maintains an extensive portfolio of property, jewelry, investments, and other assets to support her role and duties as constitutional monarch of the United Kingdom.
