From Kate Middleton to King Charles, Here's Where the Royals Love to Go on Vacation

From Scotland to Jordan, members of the royal family all have their favorite destinations

Kate Middleton, Prince William, King Charles and Queen Camilla haven't been out and about for many official engagements lately — as they’re probably off having fun! Members of the royal family typically take private vacations between July and August to relax, recharge and return ready for the fall.

Wondering where they are? Grab a tropical cocktail (or a cup of tea) and read on for an all-inclusive guide to some of their favorite places.

Birkhall at Balmoral

While Balmoral Castle in Aberdeenshire, Scotland, is synonymous with Queen Elizabeth’s summer retreats, the neighboring Birkhall Estate is lesser-known on royal radars. Queen Victoria’s husband Prince Albert bought the property shortly after he purchased Balmoral (and its 50,000 acre-enclave) in 1852, Country Life reported.

King Charles inherited Birkhall following the death of his beloved grandmother Queen Elizabeth, the Queen Mother in 2002, and reportedly honeymooned there with Camilla in 2005. The couple is known to spend summers at the 18th-century home, and Charles was interviewed there for the 2018 documentary Prince, Son and Heir: Charles at 70.

Highgrove House

Two and a half hours from London is the King and Queen’s "family home" in Gloucestershire, England, known as Highgrove House. The property was purchased in 1980 and is owned by the Duchy of Cornwall.

Charles, an ardent gardener, has worked diligently on Highgrove's grounds for four decades, which he designed to "please the eye and sit in harmony with nature.” Since the early 1980s, he has invited groups, schools and charities to tour the gardens, and used the home to host briefings and receptions.

Ray Mill House

Just 15 minutes down the road from Highgrove is Ray Mill House, Queen Camilla’s private residence in Wiltshire. According to The Sun, she purchased the property in 1996 following her divorce from Andrew Parker Bowles and lived there until 2003.

Though she has access to Charles’ vast portfolio of real estate, Ray Mill House is said to hold a special place in her heart and serve as a favorite gathering place for children and grandchildren.

Fans got a glimpse of the gardens last summer when Camilla graced (and guest edited) a special edition of Country Life — calling on Kate Middleton to take her picture.

Isles of Scilly

Princess Kate and Prince William are known to frequent the Isles of Scilly during the summer months with Prince George, 10, Princess Charlotte, 8, and Prince Louis, 5. The Prince of Wales has long visited the islands off the southwest tip of England and vacationed there as a boy with Princess Diana, Prince Charles and Prince Harry.

Embracing island energy, William and Kate surprised locals a few summers ago when they biked in Tresco with their kids!

"William and Kate were riding their bicycles, having a laugh. They looked so happy enjoying the weather. I did do a double-take. They were really friendly and said hello,” an onlooker told the Daily Mirror.

Amner Hall

For school breaks, weekends and holidays, Amner Hall in Norfolk is another favorite escape for the Wales family. Prince William and Princess Kate received the country home on the Sandringham Estate as a wedding present from Queen Elizabeth in 2011, and they used the property as their primary residence from 2015 to 2017 during Prince George and Princess Charlotte’s baby days, Hello! reported.

Princess Kate is said to feel most at home at Amner Hall, and the family isolated there during the coronavirus pandemic.

Jordan

It’s a little-known fact that Kate lived in Jordan as a child for a few years with her family, perhaps inspiring a vacation there decades later. Kate and William revealed that they took George, Charlotte and Louis to Jordan with the release of their 2021 Christmas card, and shared another shot of the prince with his kids on the following Father’s Day.

William, George, Charlotte and Louis looked relaxed in casual clothes with wide smiles, and Louis even playfully sat on his dad's shoulders.

Botswana

Prince Harry holds Botswana dear as a true refuge and focus of longstanding conservation work, so it was only natural that he invited Meghan Markle there while they dated in 2016.

“I managed to persuade her to come and join me in Botswana. We camped out with each other under the stars. She came and joined me for five days out there, which was absolutely fantastic,” Harry said in their engagement interview with the BBC in November 2017.

The prince even chose a diamond from Botswana for the center gem of Meghan’s three-stone engagement ring, which is hugged by two smaller diamonds from Princess Diana’s personal collection — a piece Meghan has called “perfect.”

Fans got an intimate glimpse of the couple’s trip to Botswana — which doubled as their third date — in the Netflix series Harry & Meghan, which debuted in December.

The Mediterranean

Prince Harry and Meghan tied the knot in May 2018, and he revealed their honeymoon location in his memoir Spare.

“Our honeymoon was a closely guarded secret. We left London in a car disguised as a removals van, the windows covered with cardboard, and went to the Mediterranean for ten days. Glorious to be away, on the sea, in the sun,” Prince Harry wrote in the groundbreaking book, published in January.

Saint-Tropez

Princess Beatrice and Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi were spotted in Saint-Tropez on Wednesday, marking a return to a favorite getaway. France is a special spot for the couple, who celebrated their third wedding anniversary on July 17.

After Beatrice and Edo tied the knot in 2020, a source told PEOPLE that the newlyweds had a "small honeymoon in France" with a "longer, more luxurious honeymoon" planned.

Portugal

On the latest episode of her podcast Tea Talks with the Duchess and Sarah, Sarah Ferguson revealed that Princess Eugenie was in Portugal with her sons August, 2, and Ernest, 2 months, who she shares with her husband, Jack Brooksbank.

Last year, Jack started a new job that called for the family to split time between the U.K. and Portugal. The latest trip might mark a milestone for Ernest, who was born May 30 — the first stamp in his passport for his first trip abroad!

Mustique

Princess Margaret found a haven in Mustique when her marriage to Anthony Armstrong-Jones turned turbulent in the 1970s. Queen Elizabeth’s younger sister was gifted a 10-acre parcel of land on the private Caribbean island and built a vacation home, christened Les Jolies Eaux — French for “the beautiful waters.”

According to Marie Claire, Margaret made the space her second home for nearly 30 years, and she put the island on the map as a glamorous getaway. She went on to gift the villa to her son David Armstrong-Jones as a wedding present in the 1990s, and he eventually sold it. Today, Les Jolies Eaux is available to rent.

The Caribbean

Princess Diana was known to love visiting the Caribbean, from Richard Branson’s private Necker Island to Nevis (where she’s pictured splashing here in 1993).

Balmoral Castle

Queen Elizabeth had the keys to many royal residences, but none quite so special as Balmoral Castle in the Scottish Highlands. The royal family has owned the hideaway since 1845, and Prince Philip chose it to propose.

Balmoral was truly the Queen's summer sanctuary and she traditionally spent every August there. Family and friends convened at the castle and made the most of the grounds with hunting, fishing, horseback riding, picnics and hikes.

Favorite Escape

"I think Granny is the most happy there. I think she really, really loves the Highlands," her granddaughter Princess Eugenie said of Balmoral in the 2016 documentary, Our Queen at Ninety.

Queen Elizabeth died at Balmoral at age 96 on Sept. 8, 2022.

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