When visiting within the UK, the Queen stayed at official residences like Buckingham Palace (London base) and Windsor Castle (weekends/Easter), while private retreats included Balmoral Castle (Scotland) and Sandringham Estate (Norfolk). For overseas tours, she used state guest houses, royal residences in Commonwealth realms (like Hillsborough Castle in Northern Ireland), or stayed in luxury hotels like Toronto's Fairmont Royal York.
Now, this doesn't sound very sexy or romantic, but royal couples including Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip historically maintained separate bedrooms. Separate bedrooms may not always be practical in the average household, but they allow everyone to sleep at their ideal comfort level.
Buckingham Palace has served as the official London residence of the UK's sovereigns since 1837 and today is the administrative headquarters of the Monarch.
Balmoral was thought to be Queen Elizabeth II's favourite Royal residences. She stayed at the Highlands estate every year, through August to October, and it was here that she enjoyed her honeymoon with Prince Philip in November 1947.
No, King Charles and Queen Camilla generally sleep in separate bedrooms, a common practice among the British upper class and royals, including the late Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, as it helps maintain their relationship and allows for personal space, with both having their own rooms at residences like Clarence House and private country homes.
Yes, Prince William and Kate Middleton sleep in the same bed, often with their dog Orla, a revelation Prince William shared, highlighting a more modern, relatable approach to royal life compared to past generations who sometimes used separate beds for status or privacy. While they have separate bedrooms for some downtime and might use separate beds when traveling on the royal train due to its layout, their usual arrangement at home is together, with their dog as a regular bedfellow.
Queen Camilla was diagnosed with a form of pneumonia following a chest infection in late 2024, which caused fatigue and led to her missing some public engagements, though she continued with indoor duties and worked towards recovery, managing lingering post-viral tiredness with rest. Her illness was initially described as a "nasty bug," but she later confirmed the pneumonia diagnosis herself, requiring a modified schedule for a period.
Andrew was famously the late Queen's favorite child—and that was true right up until "the very end” of her life, royal author Christopher Andersen says.
The architect was William Smith of Aberdeen, and his designs were amended by Prince Albert. Balmoral is the private property of King Charles III, and is not part of the Crown Estate. It was the summer residence of Queen Elizabeth II, who died there on 8 September 2022.
Yes, it's true that Beyoncé is distantly related to Queen Elizabeth II, specifically as her 25th cousin, once removed, connected by their shared ancestor, King Henry II, making "Queen B" a real-life royal relative. Their lineage traces back through French and Acadian roots, linking them through centuries of family lines.
Princess Elizabeth and Prince Philip spent their wedding night in Broadlands, Hampshire, the home of Philip's uncle, Earl Mountbatten.
The swimming pool at Buckingham Palace was built in 1938. It was converted from the northwest pavilion, designed by John Nash as a conservatory. The pool was built in 1938, commissioned by George VI. The young Princesses Elizabeth (later Elizabeth II) and Margaret were enthusiastic swimmers.
Who owns Windsor Castle? Windsor Castle belongs to the British crown, more specifically to the King or Queen of Great Britain. The castle is currently owned by King Charles III but was the favourite residence of his mother, Queen Elizabeth II.
Share this: Queen Elizabeth II's strict bedtime routine saw the monarch clocking in at least eight and a half hours of sleep every night. Her nightly ritual saw Her Majesty hit the pillow no later than 11PM, rising at around 7.30AM for a busy day of engagements.
Members of two reigning houses
Examples of royal intermarriage since 1918 include: Prince Nikolaus of Liechtenstein and Princess Margaretha of Luxembourg (1982, most recent example of intermarriage between two European dynasties reigning at the time of the wedding, as of 2025)
For generations, Balmoral has been the place where the Windsors gather for a family reunion every summer. Queen Elizabeth II, who died in the castle in 2022, considered it her favorite getaway.
Harry and Meghan have not been invited to the summer home for years. The Duke is currently involved in a lengthy court battle with the Home Office to reinstate his taxpayer-funded security in the UK.
Johnny Depp
This makes the Pirates of the Caribbean actor and the late Queen 20th cousins, and though they've never formally met, the pair briefly made contact on the set of Tim Burton's Sleepy Hollow in the '90s, Sir Michael Gambon told The Telegraph.
Fully 87% of Britons have a negative view of the Duke of York. Prince William once again tops the royal league table, with 74% of Britons having a positive opinion of the first in line to the throne. Wife Catherine is similarly popular, at 71%, with Princess Anne also coming in at 70%.
As the youngest child of Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, Prince Edward likely felt the weight of expectation upon him while growing up. In fact, the late Queen reportedly disapproved of one of Edward's life choices pretty severely, which can't have been easy to deal with.
Why Princess Anne Was Known as Prince Philip's Favorite Child. . . . .
Queen Camilla was once a heavy smoker - but stopped the habit years ago.
2 In 1562, the Queen contracted smallpox which left severe and permanent scars on her face and she feared it may ruin her image of possessing seamlessly fair skin. 2 In order to conceal the damage caused by her illness, she used a heavy white face paint known as Venetian Ceruse.
She had a sinus lift and bone grafting procedure earlier in the spring. The condition led to problems with equalising pressure and prevented her from flying above 20,000 feet. She missed a scheduled appearance at the 2021 Monaco Grand Prix, as she was unable to travel back to Monaco.