Since the death of Queen Elizabeth II, the topic of royal homes and who lives where has become a potent one.
In the past few years, UK newspaper reports from sources purporting to be very close to the office of the then Prince of Wales suggested that a whole new approach to royal real estate was being planned by the heir apparent.
The idea was that when he came to the throne, King Charles would open up the private grandeur of historic royal homes to the public, creating people’s palaces for all to enjoy for extended periods throughout the year.
The royal family at Buckingham Palace in 2015. King Charles is expected to make the palace his London home. (Reuters: Stefan Wermuth)
It’s early days, of course, and those plans are unlikely to be implemented before the coronation in May, but there’s certainly a plethora of options to consider with Sandringham House, Windsor Castle and Balmoral Castle — all places the late Queen spent a good deal of private time — ripe for conversion.
While we wait for announcements of a possible democratisation of regal property, here is a glance at the House of Windsor real estate portfolio and the current owners and tenants.
Buckingham Palace, London
Buckingham Palace is the focal point of the British monarchy. (Reuters: Carl Court/Pool)
The 775-room palace with 40 acres of gardens, five floors and an indoor swimming pool has been the British sovereign’s official royal residence since 1837 — but King Charles and Camilla, the Queen Consort, have yet to move in.
The palace is currently halfway through a 10-year multimillion-dollar renovation and restoration project, so it makes sense for Charles and Camilla to stay put at nearby Clarence House and hop over to the palace for work engagements and meetings. Certainly, Clarence House is much cosier.
To date, the official word is that the King still plans to make Buckingham Palace his London home, and in the meantime, it is still very much the focal point for the monarchy — for coronation celebrations, for the Trooping the Colour on June 17 and for state visits, important events and banquets.
It’s also HQ for all administrative matters and currently a very busy hub of activity.
The palace is actually part of the Crown Estate, a company that belongs to the reigning monarch “in right of the Crown”, so essentially the property comes with the job. It is managed by the independent Crown Estate company — as is the case for many of the royal homes.
Clarence House, London
King Charles and Queen Consort Camilla currently occupy Clarence House.(Flickr: The British Monarchy)
A stone’s thrown down The Mall from Buckingham Palace, Clarence House sits beside the ancient St James Palace and is where Charles and Camilla reside when in London.
Many royals have lived in this elegant, John Nash-designed townhouse, including Princes William and Harry, the late Queen Mother and before that Princess Elizabeth and the Duke of Edinburgh in the early days of their marriage.
Engagements are regularly held in the downstairs drawing rooms and in the walled gardens.
This is another Crown Estate property and there has been talk of Prince George possibly becoming a future resident when his time comes.
Kensington Palace, London
There are up to 50 residents of Kensington Palace at any one time.(ABC News: Kathleen Dyett)
Royals have been living at Kensington Palace in the heart of London’s Hyde Park since the 17th century and the current occupants include the Prince and Princess of Wales, William and Catherine, and their family (when in London), the Duke and Duchess of Gloucester, the Duke and Duchess of Kent, and Prince and Princess Michael of Kent.
Non-royals also live here — including members of the military, courtiers and staff — with residents totalling around 50 at any given time.
The accommodation is also run by the Crown Estate run and divided into “apartments” and cottages, with William and Catherine residing in the most palatial — apartment 1A, previously home to the late Princess Margaret (Elizabeth II’s sister) — with four storeys and 20 rooms.
There are also several cottages and small houses in the palace grounds, including Nottingham Cottage. Watchers of the Harry & Meghan Netflix docuseries will recall the couple complaining about the pokiness of the two-bed, two-bathroom house which was their starter home leading up to and after their wedding.
According to a UK newspaper report, Princess Eugenie and her family recently moved into the cottage but this has not been confirmed.
Kensington Palace also has state rooms open to the public and currently houses the administrative staff for the Prince and Princess of Wales.
Sandringham House, Norfolk
The royal family gathers at Sandringham House for Christmas.(Facebook: Sandringham 1870)
The 20,000-acre Sandringham Estate is privately owned by the royal family and has now passed to King Charles III. Sandringham House is where the family famously gathers for Christmas and for shooting parties.
While the late Queen and Duke of Edinburgh stayed here from Christmas until mid-February, after hosting the family yuletide gathering, King Charles and Camilla are spending New Year in Scotland.
Anmer Hall, Norfolk
Anmer Hall in Norfolk was a wedding gift to William and Catherine.(Wikipedia: Richard Humphrey)
The 10-bedroom Georgian house on the Sandringham Estate was a wedding gift to William and Catherine and the place they most like to spend time as a family.
While the family has now moved to Windsor, they have retained Anmer for a country holiday bolthole.
Windsor Castle, Windsor
Windsor Castle has been a royal residence for more than 900 years.(AP: Leon Neal)
The late Queen Elizabeth II spent weekends and Easter at Windsor Castle and the Duke of Edinburgh died there on April 9, 2021.
But so far King Charles has shown no intention to move in. It’s the largest occupied castle in the world with around 1,000 rooms and has been a royal residence for more than 900 years.
Frogmore Cottage, Windsor
Frogmore Cottage remains Harry and Meghan’s UK home. (AP: Steve Parsons)
Prince Harry and Meghan were given Frogmore Cottage by the late Queen and moved there in 2019, following a significant renovation that converted what were previously five separate apartments into one home.
When they moved to California the couple decided to pay for the lease themselves as well as refund the property’s renovation costs so they could retain the cottage as their UK home. They stayed here during the Platinum Jubilee celebrations.
Adelaide Cottage, Windsor
The Prince and Princess of Wales and their three children moved into the four-bedroom Adelaide Cottage on the Windsor Estate in 2022 so they could be near the children’s new school.
Since the Queen’s death, there have been unconfirmed reports that the family may now move to the larger Frogmore House, also on the Windsor Estate.
This 17th-century mansion is where Harry and Meghan held their wedding reception.
Royal Lodge, Windsor
Prince Andrew and his ex-wife Sarah Ferguson live in the Royal Lodge, a sumptuous 30-room home with an indoor swimming pool on the Windsor Estate — just five miles from Windsor Castle itself.
Andrew paid for the renovations and renewed the 75-year lease on the property with the Crown Estate in 2003. The late Queen’s remaining corgis, Muick and Sandy, are the latest residents to join the Duke and Duchess of York at the residence.
Highgrove House, Gloucestershire
The gardens surrounding Highgrove House are often open to the public.(Reuters: Geoff Pugh/Pool)
King Charles and the Duchy of Cornwall purchased Highgrove in 1980 and since Prince William has now inherited the Duchy of Cornwall, in theory, he is now his father’s landlord.
The house and stunning organic gardens and farm are very much Charles’s pride and joy, created by him as a place for rest and recuperation in the heart of the Gloucestershire countryside, close to his sister’s family who live on the Gatcombe Estate.
So far, the King has shown no inclination to move from the family home he has created but he is happy to share the gardens with the public. They are open on selected dates from April to October with tickets booked out months in advance.
Gatcombe Park, Gloucestershire
Princess Anne currently lives at Gatcombe House with her second husband.(Wikimedia: Geography.org.uk)
This 700-acre estate, including a grand 18th-century family home and a working farm, was a wedding gift from the late Queen to her only daughter Princess Anne when she married her first husband Captain Mark Phillips. It is where their children, Zara and Peter, were raised.
Princess Anne currently lives here with her second husband, Sir Tim Laurence, while her children’s families also live on the estate in separate properties.
Bagshot Park, Surrey
This Crown Estate property, a short drive from Windsor, is the home of Prince Edward, his wife Sophie and their two children, Lady Louise and James Viscount Severn.
The massive 120-room mansion house is set on 51 acres which include stables.
Balmoral Castle, Aberdeenshire, Scotland
Queen Elizabeth died at Balmoral Castle in Scotland.(Flickr: neil1877)
The late Queen spent her summers on the private Balmoral Estate, and it was here that she felt most free, away from the glare of public duty. It was also here that she died on September 8.
The castle was purchased by Prince Albert as a private retreat for his wife Queen Victoria and is now owned by King Charles. It is not yet known if the King will move into the castle or remain in Birkhall, his much cosier home on the Balmoral Estate.
Llwynywermod, Camarthenshire, Wales
This modest farmhouse, near Llandovery, was purchased in 2007 by the Duchy of Cornwall to provide a base in Wales for the then Prince of Wales.
The three-bedroom home was refurbished using local materials and the skills of Welsh craftspeople. Charles and Camilla would stay at the house during their annual tour of Wales and when in the area on other official visits.
It is likely the property will now pass to the new Prince of Wales, William.
TORONTO – The Toronto Regional Real Estate Board says home sales in October surged as buyers continued moving off the sidelines amid lower interest rates.
The board said 6,658 homes changed hands last month in the Greater Toronto Area, up 44.4 per cent compared with 4,611 in the same month last year. Sales were up 14 per cent from September on a seasonally adjusted basis.
The average selling price was up 1.1 per cent compared with a year earlier at $1,135,215. The composite benchmark price, meant to represent the typical home, was down 3.3 per cent year-over-year.
“While we are still early in the Bank of Canada’s rate cutting cycle, it definitely does appear that an increasing number of buyers moved off the sidelines and back into the marketplace in October,” said TRREB president Jennifer Pearce in a news release.
“The positive affordability picture brought about by lower borrowing costs and relatively flat home prices prompted this improvement in market activity.”
The Bank of Canada has slashed its key interest rate four times since June, including a half-percentage point cut on Oct. 23. The rate now stands at 3.75 per cent, down from the high of five per cent that deterred many would-be buyers from the housing market.
New listings last month totalled 15,328, up 4.3 per cent from a year earlier.
In the City of Toronto, there were 2,509 sales last month, a 37.6 per cent jump from October 2023. Throughout the rest of the GTA, home sales rose 48.9 per cent to 4,149.
The sales uptick is encouraging, said Cameron Forbes, general manager and broker for Re/Max Realtron Realty Inc., who added the figures for October were stronger than he anticipated.
“I thought they’d be up for sure, but not necessarily that much,” said Forbes.
“Obviously, the 50 basis points was certainly a great move in the right direction. I just thought it would take more to get things going.”
He said it shows confidence in the market is returning faster than expected, especially among existing homeowners looking for a new property.
“The average consumer who’s employed and may have been able to get some increases in their wages over the last little bit to make up some ground with inflation, I think they’re confident, so they’re looking in the market.
“The conditions are nice because you’ve got a little more time, you’ve got more choice, you’ve got fewer other buyers to compete against.”
All property types saw more sales in October compared with a year ago throughout the GTA.
Townhouses led the surge with 56.8 per cent more sales, followed by detached homes at 46.6 per cent and semi-detached homes at 44 per cent. There were 33.4 per cent more condos that changed hands year-over-year.
“Market conditions did tighten in October, but there is still a lot of inventory and therefore choice for homebuyers,” said TRREB chief market analyst Jason Mercer.
“This choice will keep home price growth moderate over the next few months. However, as inventory is absorbed and home construction continues to lag population growth, selling price growth will accelerate, likely as we move through the spring of 2025.”
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 6, 2024.
HALIFAX – A village of tiny homes is set to open next month in a Halifax suburb, the latest project by the provincial government to address homelessness.
Located in Lower Sackville, N.S., the tiny home community will house up to 34 people when the first 26 units open Nov. 4.
Another 35 people are scheduled to move in when construction on another 29 units should be complete in December, under a partnership between the province, the Halifax Regional Municipality, United Way Halifax, The Shaw Group and Dexter Construction.
The province invested $9.4 million to build the village and will contribute $935,000 annually for operating costs.
Residents have been chosen from a list of people experiencing homelessness maintained by the Affordable Housing Association of Nova Scotia.
They will pay rent that is tied to their income for a unit that is fully furnished with a private bathroom, shower and a kitchen equipped with a cooktop, small fridge and microwave.
The Atlantic Community Shelters Society will also provide support to residents, ranging from counselling and mental health supports to employment and educational services.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 24, 2024.
Housing affordability is a key issue in the provincial election campaign in British Columbia, particularly in major centres.
Here are some statistics about housing in B.C. from the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation’s 2024 Rental Market Report, issued in January, and the B.C. Real Estate Association’s August 2024 report.
Average residential home price in B.C.: $938,500
Average price in greater Vancouver (2024 year to date): $1,304,438
Average price in greater Victoria (2024 year to date): $979,103
Average price in the Okanagan (2024 year to date): $748,015
Average two-bedroom purpose-built rental in Vancouver: $2,181
Average two-bedroom purpose-built rental in Victoria: $1,839
Average two-bedroom purpose-built rental in Canada: $1,359
Rental vacancy rate in Vancouver: 0.9 per cent
How much more do new renters in Vancouver pay compared with renters who have occupied their home for at least a year: 27 per cent
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 17, 2024.
