queen castles© Photo: Getty Images

The Queen's secret castles revealed

Her Majesty owns many castles in England

Homes Editor
August 26, 2021

You'll probably be familiar with the Queen's residences of Windsor Castle and Buckingham Palace and even Balmoral and Sandringham, but what about Peveril Castle or Pickering Castle?

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There are a whole host of historical properties which belong to Her Majesty under the ownership of the Duchy of Lancaster.

The official website lists many castles such as Knaresborough Castle, Halton Castle, Ogmore Castle, Pontefract Castle and Tutbury Castle.

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However, these are not quite the castles you may be imagining as they are largely ruins that are no longer occupied.

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There are chances to see inside them though as many are open to public visitors, for people across the world to immerse themselves in British history.

© Photo: Getty Images

Peveril Castle is owned by the monarch 

The Duchy of Lancaster is a private estate owned by Her Majesty, and this portfolio not only includes 8,481 hectares of land in England and Wales and these epic castle ruins, it also covers urban properties. The Queen owns things like Wellington House in London and The Harrogate Estate up north which includes a care home, hotel and a school.

So, basically, no matter where you are in England, it is likely that you are close to something owned by the Queen – and not forgetting the swans, of course!

© Photo: Getty Images

Ogmore Castle is under the Duchy of Lancaster 

The monarch may own an array of properties, but what may surprise you is that she does not own her most famous residence, Buckingham Palace.

The 775-room royal residence, in fact, belongs to the Crown Estate, and not the Queen herself.

© Photo: Getty Images

The Queen doesn't own Buckingham Palace

The Crown Estate website explains: "The Crown Estate belongs to the reigning monarch 'in right of The Crown', that is, it is owned by the monarch for the duration of their reign, by virtue of their accession to the throne. But it is not the private property of the monarch - it cannot be sold by the monarch, nor do revenues from it belong to the monarch."

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