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With the death of Queen Elizabeth II it is not only the central power of the crown that transferred to her eldest son, the now King Charles III, but also the majority of her possessions and properties that are now his by right.
Aside from the personal property of the late queen, Charles is now in control of the expansive portfolio of royal residences, many of which he knows intimately, others he has rarely visited.
Though the technicalities of royal ownership are complicated—Charles cannot sell properties which fall under the Crown Estate—he does have creative control and is able to grant "grace-and-favour" residences to friends, family or staff as he sees fit.
Here, Newsweek takes a look at ten royal residences that Charles now controls.
Buckingham Palace
Buckingham Palace is the official working hub of the British monarchy. Located in central London, it is at the palace that the official offices and staff of the king or queen are based and from where official receptions are held.
In addition to the state rooms and offices there is also a suite of apartments which are reserved for the personal use of the monarch. Queen Elizabeth II moved from Clarence House to Buckingham Palace when she became queen. Whether her son Charles will do the same now he is king is unknown.
If the king chooses not to live at Buckingham Palace but remain at Clarence House there is the possibility that the palace may be opened to the public all year round instead of only during the summer months as it is at present.
Windsor Castle
If Buckingham Palace is the office of monarchs then Windsor Castle is their home. This ancient castle, located 20 miles from London, has played host to all of the nation's most famous kings and queens since Henry I in the 12th century.
Queen Elizabeth II spent most weekends of her life at the castle and during the COVID pandemic moved into the residence on a near-permanent basis. Prince Charles spent a large part of his childhood at the castle and his children, Prince Harry and Prince William, are reported to have residences in the castle grounds.
Sandringham House
Sandringham House, unlike most royal residences, is a privately owned property. So after the queen's death Charles is likely to inherit it outright.
The large red brick mansion, located in the county of Norfolk, was purchased by Queen Victoria for her eldest son (later King Edward VII) in 1862 and it has become one of the royals' favorite homes.
The Sandringham estate is where the royal family traditionally spends each Christmas, though whether Charles continues this remains to be seen.
Balmoral Castle
Balmoral, like Sandringham, was purchased by Queen Victoria and remains the private property of the monarch.
Though it is not the British monarchy's official residence in Scotland it is their most used and famous.
Queen Elizabeth II spent summer holidays here throughout her life and it was here that she died on September 8, 2022.
Charles has voiced his deep love for Scotland over the course of his life and until now has had the use of Birkhall, a property located close by Balmoral.
Kensington Palace
London-located Kensington Palace was purchased in the 17th century by King William III and Queen Mary II. The residence was added to over time to create a jigsaw puzzle of large and small apartments.
Since the reign of King George III no reigning monarch has lived at Kensington, and though half of the palace is opened to the public, the other half contains private residences that are in the gift of the monarch.
Charles lived at Kensington Palace during the early years of his marriage to Princess Diana. In 2013 the Prince William moved into the palace's apartment 1a where he still resides with his young family.
St James's Palace
St James's Palace is the official home of the royal court and is situated between Buckingham Palace and the Palace of Westminster. From here some members of the royal family house their staff and offices, as well as the grand state apartments playing host to events and investitures.
The palace is the oldest surviving London palace still in use. It was built by King Henry VIII in the 1500s and still contains the chapel royal where many significant royal marriages and christenings have taken place, including the wedding of Queen Victoria to Prince Albert in 1842.
The Palace of Holyroodhouse
The Palace of Holyroodhouse is the monarch's official residence in Scotland. This ancient palace was first used as a principal royal residence in the 16th century and has been in regular use since then.
Home to a magnificent collection of royal art and artifacts, Queen Elizabeth II would stay at the palace for a week each summer in what became known as "Holyrood week." This saw the monarch take part in a number of garden parties and official ceremonies which Charles may wish to continue now he is king.
Hampton Court Palace
Hampton Court Palace is another sprawling red brick royal residence, built along the river Thames. It was initially built by Cardinal Wolsey but was given to King Henry VIII as a gift where it has since been in control of the crown.
The palace was overhauled in the 17th century by William and Mary who renovated half of the complex in the modernist style of the age. They made it only half way through their plans, however, leaving it a half-Tudor mansion and half-rococo palace.
No monarch has lived at the palace since the Georgian era and Charles is known to have visited the complex rarely.
Today the state apartments are opened permanently to the public while the warren of smaller "grace-and-favour" residences are used as offices or storage facilities.
Clarence House
Clarence House abuts St James's Palace and has been lived in by Charles since his grandmother Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother died in 2002. The royal moved in after a period of renovations and has made his home there with wife Camilla, now the Queen Consort.
The house was built in the 1820s for King George III's son the Duke of Clarence. When Clarence inherited the throne from his brother and became King William IV he refused to move into the newly refurbished Buckingham Palace as he considered it too grand. This may have set a precedent which Charles may wish to follow.
Hillsborough Castle
Hillsborough Castle is the British monarchy's official residence in Northern Ireland. The castle was purchased in 1922 by the government from the Marquess of Downshire and was renamed for a time as Government House.
Queen Elizabeth II stayed at the castle in 2002 during a Golden Jubilee visit to Northern Ireland. Charles too has paid a number of visits over the years with a portrait of him being unveiled at the castle in 2019. The residence is partially open to the public operated by the charity Historic Royal Palaces.
About the writer
James Crawford-Smith is a Newsweek Royal Reporter, based in London, U.K. His focus is reporting on the British royal family ... Read more