For more than seven decades, visitors to the Palace of Holyroodhouse have only ever seen its regal state rooms. However, that's all about to change – for 100 days, at least.

Paying homage to the centenary of Queen Elizabeth II’s birth, the Royal Collection Trust has officially opened the doors to her private Scottish apartments for the first time in history, offering a rare look at how the late Queen lived in private.

Open for a strictly limited 100-day run (in a nod to the centenary), the surprisingly 'lived-in' suite of rooms on the royal residence's east side reveals how the late Queen and Prince Philip shared their lives behind closed doors. And it's notably more homely than you might expect.

While the main state rooms have everything you can expect from a historic palace (chandeliers and painted ceilings included), the apartments are more understated. There are some nods to the estate's history, including 17th-century tapestries in the breakfast room, but most of the living spaces are more modest.

The private sitting room, for example, is a lesson in symmetrical, cozy design, featuring two plush, terracotta-colored sofas arranged across from a grand fireplace. It's decorated with antiques, such as a writing desk (seen below), and historic objects from the Royal Collection.

This sitting room, along with the other spaces in the apartment, are mostly furnished with a rare collection of pieces from the Royal Collection, crafted by the Edinburgh firm Young, Trotter and Hamilton.

These pieces were commissioned for the Palace in 1796 ahead of the arrival of Charles-Philippe, Comte d’Artois, brother-in-law to Marie Antoinette and the future Charles X of France, who sought refuge there during the French Revolution.

There are also pieces from Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip’s personal collections, many of which reflect their longstanding affection for Scotland.

In the Dressing Room, visitors will gain an insight into how the Queen prepared for official engagements through the display of three outfits worn at significant occasions in Edinburgh.

Among them is the ensemble worn for the official opening of the Scottish Parliament on 1 July 1999: a purple silk-and-wool coat paired with a green silk-crepe and lace dress, complemented by a purple and green Isle of Skye tartan shawl woven on the Isle of Lewis.

Emma Stead, Curator, Palace of Holyroodhouse comments: 'Queen Elizabeth II’s well-known love for Scotland will be given fresh context through this unique and special access to the private apartments, where visitors will enjoy a new perspective into both the formal and more informal use of Edinburgh’s royal palace.’

After touring the private apartments, visitors can continue exploring the rich history of the Palace of Holyroodhouse, including the magnificent State Apartments (including the paintings below) and the chambers of Mary, Queen of Scots.

The Queen Elizabeth II Private Apartment Tours will take place daily for 100 days from Thursday 21 May to 10 September 2026. Availability is limited, and tours must be booked in addition to a standard admission ticket to the Palace of Holyroodhouse.

Or, if you can't make it across the pond in time, this book, available at Amazon, offers a different type of insight into how the Queen lived at The Palace of Holyroodhouse. It's the first official history of the Palace, tracing the history of the building from its origins as a twelfth-century abbey, to its role in the contemporary day.

Prince Edward and Duchess Sophie found themselves with an unexpected new home at Sandringham this Easter, but it's certainly not a bad upgrade.

While the couple usually stays at Wood Farm, they were forced to relocate, while Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor continues to stay at their farmhouse. Over the weekend, Edward and Sophie spent their time at 'Gardens House', a beautifully-designed five-star property on the Sandringham estate.

The luxe farmhouse, which is actually listed for short-term stays via luxury rental site Oliver's Travels, sits tucked within the royal estate in Norfolk. As the name suggests, it was once the home of the estate’s head gardener, but is now open to the public. It's a beautifully restored Edwardian brick house that blends traditional character with contemporary luxury: tall windows and arched doorways flood rooms with light, while the chintz patterns and ginham textiles feel so fitting of its unique zip code.

Its history ties directly into the fabric of one of Britain’s most iconic royal residences, giving guests a rare chance to experience estate life from inside.

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As one might expect from the interiors of a property nestled within Sandringham Estate, Gardens House is a masterclass in decorating with antiques and carefully curated vintage pieces, creating a sense of refined charm without feeling old-fashioned.

The living areas are spacious yet inviting, with cozy conversational seating, original fireplaces, and subtle decorative touches that reflect the estate’s history. The bedrooms continue to feel quietly luxurious, with plush bedding, rich wooden furniture, and serene color palettes that mirror the tranquility of the surrounding gardens.

According to the listing, a three-night stay at Gardens House can cost up to $3,750 during peak season. It appears to be available from Saturday, 12 April, though we expect it to book up quickly, especially given the royal's recent presence.

As mentioned, Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor is currently residing at Wood Farm (Prince Edward and Duchess Sophie's usual residence) while he waits for renovations to be completed at his future home, Marsh Farm. He's expected to move once preparations are finished, though there is no official timeline for its completion.

While a last-minute change of plans brought them to Gardens House, the Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh enjoyed a stay that blended royal history with modern quiet luxury – a rare glimpse into the understated luxury of life on one of England's most storied estates

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If you've ever wanted to stay at the foot of Anmer Hall, Prince William and Princess Catherine's primary home, you may soon have the opportunity. And, you'll be able to do so in the utmost luxury.

Reports have shared plans for an upscale eco-retreat to be developed on the Sandringham Estate, bordering the couple’s family home. The proposed development comprises 45 timber cabins nestled into the landscape, accompanied by saunas, outdoor pools, and open-air bathing spaces designed to immerse guests in the beautiful Norfolk surroundings.

If you're already well-read on the royal residence, you may know that it's surrounded by countryside, making the area the perfect place for a therapeutic retreat. The specific land in question forms part of a wider 1,500-acre stretch of countryside and sits close to the estate of David Cholmondeley and Rose Hanbury – longtime friends of the Prince and Princess. Their home, Houghton Hall, is similarly a piece of British heritage, originally built in the 18th century for former Prime Minister Robert Walpole.

According to planning documentation acquired by sources, the retreat will offer guests an escape from 'modern pressures.'

A joint statement from the estate and co-developer Wyld Cabins shared that guests will be encouraged to 'slow down, relax, absorb and enjoy the surrounding tranquillity,' attracting professionals juggling careers, family life, and the demands of an always-connected world.

Set to operate year-round, the project reflects a growing appetite for design-led, environmentally conscious travel – reviving quiet luxury for one of Britain’s most historically rooted landscapes.

While we can't know whether you'll catch a glimpse of the Prince and Princess around the retreat, you may see them with David Cholmondeley and Rose Hanbury, especially at Houghton Hall. Their proximity has fostered a close relationship since the couple relocated only four miles away in 2015.

William and Catherine have previously attended high-profile events at Houghton, including a charity gala supporting East Anglia's Children's Hospices. Houghton Hall is also renowned for its striking art installations, including a 2024 series of 100 life-sized iron statues by Sir Antony Gormley.

For those interested in learning more about Sandringham's rich history, a detailed account is available in this book on Amazon. It's worth a read whether you're thinking of making a trip to the cabin or not.

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Prince William and Princess Kate have been through an incredibly difficult 18 months, and it’s no surprise, therefore that they’re looking for a fresh start on the home front to mark the next phase of their lives together.

After a decade of shifting between homes, the couple is leaving the pink-walled Adelaide Cottage for Forest Lodge, an eight-bedroom Georgian mansion hidden inside Windsor Great Park. With its classical proportions, sash windows, and sweeping drive, it’s certainly grand – the house is being billed as their “forever base,” even once William takes the throne.

Forest Lodge marks the end of a series of moves, typical of young families. In the past ten years alone, William and Kate have gone from Anglesey, where they lived as newlyweds in a modest farmhouse while William flew helicopters, to Kensington Palace, where Apartment 1A became their London base, to Anmer Hall in Norfolk for family life in the country.

Their 2022 move to Adelaide Cottage in Windsor was seen by many as a down-to-earth retreat (it’s all relative, of course). It’s compact by royal standards, with a pretty pastel exterior and just four bedrooms.

Forest Lodge is a different story and sets the family up for years to come – including William’s future ascension. The scale alone makes it a statement of permanence. Where Adelaide was cottage-cozy, Forest Lodge is all Georgian symmetry, high ceilings, and formal gardens – the sort of home designed to carry a family through generations. It also signals how the next King and Queen envision their domestic life – a more laid-back location than Central London, mixing grandeur with privacy.

That privacy comes at a cost. A vast “no-go zone” has been enforced around the estate, blocking off miles of Windsor Great Park and angering locals. Yet the Waleses appear set on turning Forest Lodge into their anchor, with Anmer Hall remaining their country bolt-hole and Kensington Palace reserved for official duties.

This move also throws Buckingham Palace’s future into question. King Charles has made no secret of his dislike of the palace as a home, preferring Clarence House in London and the lived-in comfort of Highgrove and Balmoral to the famous 18th-century Palace.

Renovations will keep it uninhabitable for years, and William is expected to follow his father’s lead, keeping the Palace as a ceremonial and administrative headquarters rather than a family residence.

And then there’s Harry, who has spent much of September beginning to rebuild bridges with his father and brother on a London visit. Yet the approach the two brothers take to their homes couldn’t be more different. While his brother embraces Georgian grandeur, Harry and Meghan’s California life is all pared-back, “Cali cool” styling – white walls, olive trees, sprawling outdoor spaces. Their Montecito mansion is a far cry from Windsor’s formality, with Meghan’s kettle making its way into lifestyle inboxes rather than glimpses of gilded drawing rooms.

The contrast couldn’t be starker. One brother is reshaping the royal map of Britain, settling his family into the leafy permanence of Windsor Great Park. The other is half a world away, exporting his own brand of casual luxury. Together, they mark the biggest royal shake-up in decades – not just in where the royals live, but in the very style of how they choose to live.

Last night, the world watched Windsor Castle, wherein King Charles and Queen Camilla welcomed President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump for an unprecedented second state visit to the United Kingdom.

Unlike Trump’s 2019 banquet at Buckingham Palace, it took place at Windsor Castle while renovations continue on the former royal residence. However, while the location breaks tradition, the banquet itself was a celebration of deep-rooted heritage.

At Windsor Castle, state dinners are almost always held in St. George’s Hall, where the long table is set with the Grand Service – featuring a silver-gilt collection commissioned by George IV during his years as Prince of Wales (1762–1830). Each place setting is finished with a napkin folded in the Dutch bonnet style, creating a structured, hat-like shape that resembles the rounded bonnets once worn in the Netherlands.

Alongside these traditional elements, there remains some opportunity for customization, as seen through the subtle fall decor that is, in many ways, replicable on a smaller scale. Most notably, the flowers served as a nod to the season.

Tones of purple, crimson, burnt orange, and dark pink all contributed to the seasonal character, making the atmosphere feel more fall-focused than we've seen in the past (for example, President Emmanuel Macron's state banquet featured a softer pink summer arrangement). The flowers were held in a statement gold vase, maintaining the grandeur you would expect from such a dinner.

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While the flower arrangement differs from Macron's visit, the seating layout remains the same. It moved away from the traditional horseshoe shape in favor of a single, 50-meter-long mahogany table, with guests seated along both sides.

The eagle-eyed among us may have also noticed how the menus are not in English (as one might expect from the British royal family, no less). Instead, they were in French, once again staying true to a time-honored tradition.

French state dinner menus date back to the Norman Conquest in the 11th century, when French became the official language of the court. Despite the centuries that have passed, the tradition endures, and today, most formal royal dinner menus are still presented in the same language.

When translated into English, the menu featured a Hampshire watercress panna cotta served with Parmesan shortbread and a quail egg salad, followed by chicken ballotine wrapped in courgette. For dessert, guests enjoyed a striking vanilla ice cream bombe with a Kentish raspberry sorbet center, paired with lightly poached Victoria plums.

For those interested in Windor's tablescapes, it will be interesting to see how the flowers and seating layout will change during the next visit. We await to see.

After three years of living in cozy Adelaide Cottage, a 'modest' sized home in Windsor Home Park, Prince William and Princess Catherine are reportedly upsizing.

Royal sources have suggested that the family may be relocating to Fort Belvedere, a stunning Gothic Revival mansion situated in a 'hidden corner' of Windsor Great Park, approximately 7.7 miles from their current residence.

Built in the 18th century, Fort Belvedere is the royal residence associated with Edward VIII, who lived there before he became monarch and after he abdicated to marry Wallis Simpson.

During his time there, he added central heating, en-suite bathrooms, a steam room, stables, a swimming pool, and tennis courts – the latter are said to appeal to Princess Catherine and Charlotte, who enjoy the sport.

Fort Belvedere is famously the site where Edward VIII signed the papers that sealed his abdication in 1936.

According to the Mail on Sunday, the family is planning to leave Adelaide Cottage, which has served as a 'peaceful refuge' since the pandemic, for the larger, gothic country house.

Known as The Fort, it features a rose garden, walled garden, kitchen garden, sizeable greenhouse, stables, two lakes, paddocks, and three staff cottages. One well-connected source told the publication: 'They feel they have outgrown Adelaide Cottage and need somewhere more substantial.'

'This is the perfect new home for them. It has a swimming pool and tennis court, and Charlotte loves playing tennis.'

Before Edward VIII's residency, Fort Belvedere welcomed others throughout its 250-year-old history. Built between 1750 and 1755 for Prince William Augustus, Duke of Cumberland, as a summer house, Sir Jeffrey Wyatville redesigned it into a more Gothic style hunting lodge in the 1820s. Queen Victoria also used it as a tea house, and it was opened to the public in the 1860s.

During World War II, the home served as government offices, remaining empty until 1956, when Gerald Lascelles, the son of Princess Mary, took up a 99-year lease and converted the house into a more manageable eight-bedroom residence, while restoring the gardens and upgrading the facilities.

It's not yet confirmed whether Princess Kate and Prince William will play a part in Fort Belvedere's next chapter. We await to hear more about their decision shortly, and will let you know more when we do. In the meantime, you can read up on the most famous royal homes in this book by John Martin Robinson, available below.

King Charles reportedly spent the last weekend at his official family home, Highgrove House, in Gloucestershire, South West England. It comes after news that he had visited the hospital with side effects from his cancer treatment. The monarch was seen driving through Highgrove House gates after clearing his diary to prioritize his recovery, which reports say is a precaution following the temporary side effects. A look at Highgrove's gardens, however, shows exactly why it's the ideal place for him to recover.

When King Charles first moved into the home, the gardens were famously overgrown and unkept. Following consultations with celebrated gardeners Rosemary Verey and naturalist Miriam Rothschild, the monarch transformed the grounds into a healing sanctuary.

The gardens include rare trees, flowers, and heirloom seeds, and practice organic lawn management techniques that create a sustainable habitat for birds and wildlife. Homes & Garden's content editor, and master gardener, Thom Rutter, explains that these conditions contribute to a sensory retreat that is perfect for the King.

'Highgrove was acquired by HRH King Charles III in 1980, and ever since, the gardens have been a continuing project and passion,' Thom says. 'Highgrove, found in Gloucestershire, is visited by many thousands of visitors in the UK every year, and is famed for its dense planting, topiary and wildflower meadows. Any visitor will tell you that the gardens are a calming, tranquil retreat.'

According to Thom, the garden owes its therapeutic qualities to the aromatic plants that bring aesthetic and sensory values. 'Some plant highlights include aromatic herbs and fragrant climbers, such as wisteria and honeysuckle, as well as colorful perennials, including delphiniums – known to be King Charles' favorite flower,' he says.

'Water also plays a central role in the garden, with ponds, lily pools and fountains adding a sensory element to the estate.'

Despite being so special to the King, Highgrove's gardens welcome more than 30,000 visitors a year. The royal residence and grounds uphold the King's environmental principles and have been the subject of several books (including the one on Amazon below).

They've inspired generations of gardeners by showing that a gorgeous landscape can be achieved through completely organic and earth-friendly methods.

You can plan your visit to the King's special gardens via the Highgrove House website.