21 behind-the-scenes photos of royals at home: From the Queen to Meghan Markle

Kate Middleton and Prince Charles have been pictured too

Lifestyle Features Editor

November 24, 2020Nov 24, 2020, 12:08 PM GMT

For a long time, the only opportunity royal fans had to see inside the homes of the Queen, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge and other royals was during guided tours of their residences or official portraits. That has all changed, particularly since the pandemic has seen many of them make virtual appearances from home, including Prince Charles and Princess Anne.

Want to get a rare access-all-areas peek into Her Majesty's home Windsor Castle or the Duke and Duchess of Sussex's Montecito mansion? Take a look...

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WATCH: Look inside Harry and Meghan's carefully curated living room

Prince Harry and Meghan

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle offered an insight into their beautiful Californian mansion, revealing a carefully curated set-up as their Zoom backdrop. Fans could see a large crystal, a vase full of flowers and a stack of books, as well as Harry and Meghan's artwork trio from the 'Nest Studies' series.

The Duchess of Sussex gave a full look at her incredible home office on her 40th birthday. In the video shared by her and Prince Harry's not-for-profit organisation, Archewell, Meghan sat at her rustic wooden desk on a cream dining room style chair, while another chair next to her was draped with a Hermes blanket and a traditional fireplace was in full view behind her. The mother-of-two used a stack of white books to prop her laptop up to eye level, and her desk also held a floral tray with a Burleigh teacup and a plate.

PHOTOS: 17 stunning royal home offices that will leave you speechless

Thanks to Prince Harry, royal fans got an inside look at Princess Eugenie and Jack Brooksbank's home at Ivy Cottage in Kensington Palace, when he filmed a video for World Mental Health Day with Ed Sheeran. The pair sat in the kitchen to work together, after Prince Harry greeted Ed at the door – where a black-and-white portrait from Eugenie and Jack's royal wedding was on display.

It wasn't strictly shared by Meghan, but we did get a glimpse of the Duchess' home life when she hosted her royal wedding makeup artist Daniel Martin at Kensington Palace in January. The pair tucked into avocado on toast served on a silver platter, while drinking tea that was served in a teapot and matching mugs from Soho House's homeware line Soho Home.

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Prince William and Kate

Who can forget the moment a pyjama-clad Prince George met Michelle and Barack Obama in Kensington Palace in 2016? The photos offered a unique look inside the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge's family home – in particular their stylish living room – which had cream carpets, shelving lined with books and topped with plants and decorative table lamps.

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Prince William and Kate living room barack obama visit

Prince William and Kate's living room décor combined traditional and modern elements – with cosy window seats and a glass coffee table alongside ornate wooden dressers and armchairs.

SEE: Kate Middleton and Prince William's London home is another scale of luxury

The Countess of Wessex

Sophie shared a video from her family home at Bagshot Park in March, highlighting resources that families may find useful during the school closures. The clip, filmed by her daughter Lady Louise, offered a rare look inside the residence. Sophie stood in front of a wooden bookcase filled with a selection of DVDs and games, with cream walls and a framed picture hanging on the wall.

The Prince of Wales and Duchess of Cornwall

Prince Charles and Camilla shared a look at their London residence, Clarence House, before Christmas 2019. A huge Christmas tree trimmed with gold and red decorations took pride of place at the bottom of the stairs, in keeping with the opulent colour scheme of the room.

Sarah Ferguson

Sarah, Duchess of York, gave fans a look inside the living room at Royal Lodge Windsor in a post to celebrate Prince Andrew's 60th birthday. The grand room has huge windows draped with floor-to-ceiling curtains, sofas lined with cushions and a patterned rug on the wooden floor.

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Sarah, Duchess of York, shared a peek inside what appears to be her home in an Instagram post to launch a new charity campaign in April. The room Sarah was standing in had green sofas and a wooden coffee table, with beautiful garden views.

Sarah Ferguson has shared several glimpses inside her home at Royal Lodge Windsor during the coronavirus lockdown, during which she has been reading daily stories on Instagram. Several of the clips have been filmed in the property's conservatory, which has an impressive home bar setup where she has bottles of tonic and paper straws on display.

Royal fans got a peek inside Prince Andrew's family home when Sarah, Duchess of York, shared a behind-the-scenes photo from the royal wedding in October. The mother of the bride posed in a hallway to showcase her outfit, but many were more distracted by the look inside the royal residence, which had framed family photos on the walls and a wooden dresser, with cream carpets and green walls.

Sarah also gave a sneak peek inside Princess Eugenie's wedding reception with a post to celebrate National Siblings Day. The mother-of-two shared a photo of her sister Jane Ferguson riding a carousel on the third round of celebrations for Eugenie and Jack's nuptials, which were hosted at Royal Lodge Windsor.

Princess Eugenie

Princess Eugenie's husband Jack Brooksbank was pictured cuddling baby August in the living room, which has a tonal palette with a white sofa and off-white panelled walls. The couple have added an element of fun with oversized boho cushions, but again, there is no colour in sight.

The royal shared a never-before-seen photo with her mum Sarah Ferguson on Instagram for Mother's Day 2020 showing the pair cuddling in a garden. The post showed how the pair dress down for their time at home, with Eugenie dressed in sportswear and trainers while her mum looked relaxed in a skirt, jumper and sheepskin boots.

PHOTOS: Sarah Ferguson and Prince Andrew's mansion hosted daughters' weddings

Prince Andrew birthday treat grenadier guards

The Grenadier Guards were out in force in honour of Prince Andrew's birthday on Tuesday, and daughter Princess Eugenie took to Instagram to share a video of the special moment they performed for him in the grounds of Royal Lodge Windsor. "Thank you to @grenadier.guards for such a special birthday morning for Papa… video taken by yours truly!" Eugenie captioned the clip.

Princess Eugenie photo Prince Andrew Buckingham Palace

Eugenie has a close bond with her father, and shared a photo of Prince Andrew standing in his Grenadier Guards Uniform after Trooping the Colour in 2018, offering a rare peek inside Buckingham Palace in the process. The Prince posed in a long corridor painted in a mint green colour, with red carpet along the centre of the wooden flooring, and ornate frames showcasing artwork on the walls.

Prince Andrew

The Duke of York shared a rare peek inside his office at Buckingham Palace ahead of Christmas in 2018, showing the huge tree that had been placed next to the windows. The office had a rich red and gold colour scheme, with floor-length velvet curtains, a red sofa and wooden dresser.

Proud dad Prince Andrew also gave a behind-the-scenes glimpse at his daughter Princess Eugenie's wedding reception in October 2018, showing the incredible room at Windsor Castle where they hosted guests for the daytime reception. Andrew revealed: "The flower arrangements displayed during the wedding reception for Princess Eugenie and Jack Brooksbank last Friday at Windsor Castle were created using autumnal foliage from Windsor Great Park and biodegradable oasis, following the couple's autumnal theme and eco-friendly request."

The Queen

The Queen, Prince Edward and Countess of Wessex were pictured in one of the Queen's private reception rooms in Buckingham Palace in a photo posted on Facebook by Prince Andrew in 2015. The family photo offered a glimpse inside one of the private areas of the palace, with framed photos, fresh flowers and plants on display.

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