The Chateau du Ciergnon (Or “Royal Castle of Ciergnon”) is a residence and summer retreat of the Belgian Royal Family, located near Ciergnon in the municipality of Houyet, province of Namur. The domain, including woods, river, and vast hunting ground, was acquired in 1840 by King Leopold I at the request of his queen, Louise-Marie.
At first just a hunting lodge, King Leopold II erected the present chateau, with an edifice designed by court architect Alphonse Balat, and has mostly served as a holiday retreat since then. It was the venue for the press presentation of King Baudouin’s fiance Dona Fabiola de Mora y Aragon back in 1960.
St. James’s Palace
As one of the oldest and most historic homes the royal family has made use of, St. James’s Palace has served as the official residence of Kings and Queens for over three hundred years, up until Queen Victoria took office. It may no longer be a home, but it is a “working palace” that houses several royal families and their places of official business.
The palace hosts more than a hundred charity events a year involving royal family members. It’s also responsible for the Accession Council meetings after the death of the queen. For the first time in history, the royal family opened two bedrooms for rent, at only $22,000 a month.
Meghan Markle’s Apartment in Toronto
Suits actress Meghan Markle’s old home is up for sale, and if you happen to have an extra one and a half million dollars lying around, you can live in the two-story house Meghan and her dogs lived in while she was at work shooting the USA Network television series.
Meghan has stated there is no place like home. After getting married to Prince Harry and moving to Frogmore Cottage (which is definitely an upgrade, despite the cost of her old home), Meghan put her old life on the market. It’s a gorgeous building, and if you need the royal treatment in Toronto you won’t go wrong.
Llwynywermod
Go ahead and try to pronounce that one correctly. We’ll wait. While this farmhouse seems a bit modest as far as royal homes go, it sits inside a 192-acre landscape. It has a huge garden, which makes it the perfect place for King Charles III and Camilla, Queen Consol, to visit if they need some quiet time in the countryside.
Just like Highgrove House, King Charles renovated Llwynywermod with sustainability in mind. It’s insulated with sheep’s wool (very Welsh of you, Charlie), and is heated with a wood chip boiler. It also features low-energy lights and a reed-bed sewage system. The royal couple is proud of a completely organic farm, and joke that their sheep are both lawn mowers and fertilizers.
Buckingham Palace
It’s the big one. There are few places as ritzy as Buckingham Palace, located in the City of Westminster. It has served as the official residence of the Queen of England since 1837 when Queen Victoria took the throne. Its seven hundred and seventy-five rooms are decked out in a lavish 19th-century interior design.
It’s open for ten weeks each year during the summer, and on selected dates during spring and winter. There’s plenty for tourists to see, including London’s largest garden. Estimates range wildly, but reports claim the palace is worth anywhere from two billion dollars to five billion dollars.