A look at Highgrove House, Prince of Charles and Duchess Camilla's stunning Cotswolds retreat

Highgrove House is the stunning Cotswolds retreat Charles and Camilla use as their second home.

• A look at the royal residency owned by Prince Charles and the Duchess of Cornwall
• All the answers to the questions you have about Highgrove House
• In other Royal News, take a look inside Clarence House, the London residence Charles and Camilla call home

The many members of the Royal family live in various ancestral homes across the UK. With so many of them having more than one home - thinking of Buckingham Palace, Windsor Castle, and Sandringham in Norfolk to name just a few - it can be challenging to keep track of who lives where. 

A brief history of Highgrove House

The property was built between 1796 and 1798 and is believed to have been designed by the architect Anthony Keck. The house suffered severe damage in 1893 when a fire broke out. It was rebuilt to its previous glory by Bristol architect John Hart. 

The nine-bedroom, six-bathroom mansion has three storeys and a swimming pool that was gifted to the royal family from the Royal Army after Princess Diana and the Prince of Wales wedding.

The home was owned by various families until it was purchased by the Duke of Cornwall, Prince Charles in 1980. In 1987, Prince Charles remodelled the home and grounds, but it retains its original Georgian style. Princess Diana spent a lot of time with her sons and husband at this property at the beginning of their marriage.

Where is Highgrove House?

Highgrove House is southwest of Tetbury in Gloucestershire, England. This is the country home of Charles and Camilla who also have a primary residence in London. 

Tetbury is a wealthy town inside the Cotswolds district. The area is filled with old buildings and a rich English history. There are many cobbled stone streets and unique boutique shops and restaurants. 

The home is located close to the Duchy Home Farm. This farm is part of the gardens belonging to the royal residency and the Prince of Wales himself made the farm organic in 1985. At the time, Prince Charles was credited for using 'pioneering agriculture techniques' to create the organic produce. The food from these farms is still sold in selected UK supermarkets like Waitrose. 

Who lives in Highgrove House?

Highgrove House is the home of the Prince of Wales, Charles, and his wife the Duchess of Cornwall, Camilla. The royal couple who were married in 2005 and have lived used Highgrove House as their country home since then. 

Their main residence is Clarence House in London. The home is a large royal residence on the Mall just a short walk from Buckingham Palace. However, the couple has been using Highgrove House as their main residence during the Pandemic. 

Prince Harry and William also spent time at this royal residence as children when their parents, the Prince of Wales and Princess Diana were still married.

What do the grounds look like to Highgrove House?

Is Highgrove House open to the public?

Highgrove House is open to the public and many guests flock to the residence to enjoy the stately home's nearly 350 acres of extensive gardens. 

The website to book visits states, "The Prince of Wales and The Duchess of Cornwall welcome you to join one of their expert guides on a tour to discover the history, inspiration and unique organic management behind the incredible series of gardens at The Royal Gardens at Highgrove."

The House and gardens feature a tea room and a gift shop, but tours are currently cancelled due to COVID-19.

The website for visiting Highgrove House also states that the large, immaculate interlinked gardens are Prince Charle's designs. "Created with imagination and passion by the Prince over the last 38 years, the series of interlinked organic gardens reflect his deep commitment to sustainability, as well as a natural artistic ability. As an important haven for a rich variety of flora and fauna, the gardens have been developed to not only please the eye, but sit in succinct harmony with nature," says the website.

Prince Charles recently took to the Clarence House Instagram page to encourage people to get back into gardening during the lockdown. The Prince sent this message from his garden in Highgrove House.

What does the inside of Highgrove House look like?

The inside of Highgrove House is not open to the public. Therefore there aren't a lot of images that show how Camilla and Charles have decorated the property. However, now and then fans can catch glimpses of the interior from their Instagram page. 

In Andrew Morton's biography of the Princess of Wales,'Diana: Her true story - in her own words,' Andrew claims that the Prince of Wales asked Diana to be involved in the interior design of the property. 

The biographer writes, "During that first weekend Prince Charles showed Diana around Highgrove, the 353-acre Gloucestershire home he had bought in July—the same month he had started to woo her." He continued, "As he took her on a guided tour of the eight-bedroom mansion, the Prince asked her to organize the interior decoration. He liked her taste though she felt that it was a 'most improper' suggestion as they were not even engaged."

How much is Highgrove House worth?

The Prince bought the property in 1980 for £865,000. It was found in 2011 that the Prince of Wales had paid himself over £8 million in rent since he bought the estate.

The Royal families property portfolio is estimated at £13billion. This includes a variety of royal estates across the UK. 

It was estimated in 2020 by energyhelpline.com that the electricity bill for the Highgrove House estate costs £37,097 per year.