Palace King Charles owns but no royal has lived there for more than 250 years

27 August 2023 , 15:01

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Palace King Charles owns but no royal has lived there for more than 250 years

Before his accession, King Charles already had access to an impressive portfolio of homes that stretched as far south as Tamarisk House on the Isles to Scilly to the Castle of Mey in Northern Scotland - but there are also a number of residences in London that the King has never lived in.

While some historic royal properties have been demolished or repurposed, one palace on the edge of London is still cherished as a key historic site, despite the fact that no monarch has lived there since the reign of King George II ended 263-years ago. The iconic building is now run by Historic Royal Palaces and welcomes thousands of guests each year. It also frequently serves as a popular filming location and has starred in the likes of Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides, Belgravia and Netflix's Bridgerton and Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story.

(Getty Images)

Hampton Court Palace is located in East Molesey, Surrey, around 12 miles south west of Central London. It was a key royal residence from the reign of King Henry VIII to the death of King George II in 1760 but was refused as a home by his grandson King George III after he had a painful childhood moment there.

The stunning building has an incredible 241 chimneys, 1390 rooms, five internal courtyards and a floor area of 47,330 square metres. As well as this, it is surrounded by 60 acres of formal gardens and a further 750 of exquisite parkland. With its Tudor and Baroque architecture, Hampton Court was always intended as a luxurious home ever since it was gifted to Henry VIII by his favourite Cardinal Thomas Wolsey.

Hampton Court Palace was used as Queen Charlotte's home in Netflix's Bridgerton and Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story (LIAM DANIEL/NETFLIX)

The King worked on expanding the palace and even included many personal touches to impress his second wife, Anne Boleyn, during their courtship such as interwoven H's and A's in the stone work. After he ordered Anne's beheading, he asked from the initials to be removed - however some still remain today.

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The palace, which was built to be as lavish as possible, features kitchens so big that they prepared up to 1,600 meals a day at their peak, and the Great Hall where Henry VIII held his banquets. Inside, there's also an extensive art collection, featuring pieces by Rembrandt, Caravaggio and van Dyck.

It was opened to the public in 1838 by Queen Victoria, and attracted almost a million visitors per year. Visitors also come for the trapezoid maze, which takes 20 minutes to reach the centre. There are 60 acres of formal gardens, as well as the famous Fountain Court.

A number of famous movies and TV shows have been filmed there, including Netflix's Bridgerton and Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story, The Favourite, Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides, The Young Victoria, Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows, Disney's Cinderella, The Theory of Everything and Mamma Mia: Here We Go Again!

Despite having never lived there, the palace is owned by the King "in Right of Crown", which means that he holds it in trust for the next monarch, and cannot sell it.

Rebecca Russell