Country Homes (Estates) of British Royals

[PAVLOV]

I wonder which of the Royal Residences, besides Highgrove, is Prince Charles favourite ? Somehow I think Sandringham is his least favourite.   

[Robert_Hall]

He seems to spend a lot of time at the Scotland estate he inherited from his grandmother. I do not think many people really like Sandringham, or Balmoral for that matter. They  just go there for the Queen.

[timfromengland]

I dont think Diana like d  Balmoral,  or the  endless hours spent trout fishing....
lets face it, she was a town mouse and Charles is a country mouse
they were ill matched from the getgo.

 I would think that  Sandringham is wonderful in the autumn  but  very bleak in the winter.
But it must be.... above all others... where the Queen and her family feel  " at home "
Im sure it was for Princess Alexandra too and  the Princess of  May  for that  matter.

But the menus can get a little  tedius............ not pheasant again !

[timfromengland]

quote
He seems to spend a lot of time at the Scotland estate he inherited from his grandmother.
end quote

I dont think Charles owns it  quite yet !

[CHRISinUSA]

Quite so, although I'm sure Robert was speaking more generally when he said "inherited".

Purchased by Prince Albert from the Gordon family (owners of the Abergeldie estate), Birkhall remains part of the larger Balmoral Estate.  According to its own website, the estate comprises 18,659 hectares owned between Balmoral, Birkhall and Glen Doll, 2,940 hectares of grouse moor at Corgarff and 4,688 hectares of sporting rights rented from a neighbour. 3,000 Hectares are afforested and 222 hectares are arable or pasture, with 100 Highland Cattle, and The Queen's Highland, Fell and Haflinger ponies.

[Robert_Hall]

Thank you both for the clarifications. I was not quite sure, myself. Just that he seems to spend a lot of his free  time up there. I think his precious Camilla is better received in Scotland.
 However, I was thinking  of the QM's "castle" is which  partly open to the public. I do not think that is on the Balmoral estate. I could very well be wrong, though.

[Margot]

Are you referring to the Castle of Mey Robert?

The castle is now administered as a charitable trust and is indeed open to the public! It is in Caithness at the very top of mainland Scotland much further north than Balmoral which is in Aberdeenshire!

http://www.castleofmey.org.uk/

Prince Charles stays there too for a couple of days each year, but it is generally open year round otherwise!

It is a charming bijou castle and I think it must have been very therapeutic for QEQM to have a project to undertake in the first years of her widowhood!

[Robert_Hall]

 Probably. Margot. It has a charming garden with a very short season, Scotland, you know..

[architect]

Here are a few photos from the book "Royal Sandringham" The Royal Family in Norfolk since 1863 by: Philip Hepworth

[http://i37.photobucket.com/albums/e81/jmpdesign/Sandringham-WestFrontCirca1897.jpg]
Sandringham West Front Circa 1897
Note that the Tower Entrance near the Dining Room has not been constructed

[architect]

[architect]

 
Princess Alexandra's Room
 

 
Prince of Wales Business Room - Morning Room Circa 1889
 

 
Library Circa 1889
 

 
Sandringham East Front - Circa 1870
 

 
Sandringham Bowling Alley Circa 1889
 

 
Sandingham Billiard Room Circa 1889

[Eddie_uk]

i THOUGHT  Balmoral was the favourite  home of the Royals ... 
Im sure it is Prince Charles favourite place .

That's true. Prince Charles is on record as saying Queen Victoria "hated leaving, much as I hate leaving this marvellous place [Balmoral]" (Clark, 1981, p. 136).

[timfromengland]

do you mean Queen Victoria hated leaving  Sandringham... or  Balmoral ?

[Robert_Hall]

 Did Queen Victoria actually spend time at Sandringham ? I could be wrong, but I thought it was  bought for Edward VII when he was still Prince of Wales  I have never been there,  simply not interested. Her favoutite places were Balmoral  and Osbourne, were they not?
 Anyway, Queen Alexandra  seemed to like the place. That is  why she accumulated so many of her  Faberge animals! Cute but costly, to say the least!

[Margot]

She never spent time there on a migrational basis like she did Osborne, Balmoral and Windsor as it was not one of her homes but I am pretty sure she did stay there in 1871 during the crisis when Bertie had typhoid! I seem to remember that at the time it was noted that the house was rather cramped when a great deal of the family rushed down to be near the sick bed!