A look at Bagshot Park: Prince Edward and Sophie Wessex’s sprawling country estate in Surrey
Prince Edward and Sophie Wessex live at Bagshot Park with their two children James Viscount Severn and Lady Louise
Prince Edward and Sophie Wessex may live in one of the most impressive royal residences of them all—Bagshot Park, located in the Surrey countryside.
- Bagshot Park is located in the vast Surrey countryside, just 30 miles outside of London.
- It has been a royal residence for around 200 years and is now home to the Queen's youngest son, Prince Edward, his wife, Sophie Wessex and their children, Lady Louise Windsor and James, Viscount Severn.
- Bagshot Park has a fascinating history and is set in sprawling green countryside.
Who lives at Bagshot Park?
Bagshot Park, located in Bagshot, Surrey, has been the country home of Prince Edward and Sophie Wessex since their 1999 wedding.
The couple, along with their two children, James Viscount Severn, and Lady Louise, live in the Mansion house within the grounds of Bagshot Park at Windsor Great Park.
Their daughter, however, is away from the property for most of the year. Lady Louise, 18, was previously a boarder at St Mary's School in Ascot and has now a student at St Andrews University in Scotland, where Prince William and Kate Middleton met.
Edward and Sophie still have the company of their son, James, as he attends Eagle House School near Sandhurst in Berkshire.
Their home at Bagshot itself is an undoubtedly impressive, Grade-II listed building, complete with 51 acres of ground for the family to enjoy, affording them complete privacy.
Sophie and Edward and their family aren't far from the extended royals either, as the village of Bagshot is just 11 miles away from Windsor, where the Queen spent plenty of time at Windsor Castle, before her death in 2022.
Meanwhile, the Prince and Princess of Wales, Prince William and Kate Middleton, live nearby at Adelaide Cottage in Berkshire, with Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis.
A brief history of Bagshot Park
Prince Edward and the Countess of Wessex moved into Bagshot Park after getting married in 1999, following an extensive renovation of the place.
The main house at Bagshot Park was originally a series of small lodges, designed for King Charles I.
King William IV lived there until 1816, when it was then used by Prince William Frederick, Duke of Gloucester, nephew of King George III.
However, the original house was completely demolished in 1877, and rebuilt in 1879, with around 120 rooms. From 1880, it was the main residence of Prince Arthur, Duke of Connaught and Strathearn, a son of Queen Victoria, until his death in 1942.
The house was also used as a hospital in wartime, for the Auxiliary Territorial Service originally. It was then used by the Royal Army Chaplains' Department as a Church House and Chaplains' Depot until Sophie and Edward moved in.
Who owns Bagshot Park?
Bagshot Park belongs to the Crown Estate, meaning ownership will pass between monarchs as the years and decades pass.
The Earl and Countess of Wessex don't necessarily pay rent, but Prince Edward did extend the lease on his family home to 150 years, for £5 million.
Bagshot Park's stunning interiors—what's it like inside?
Bagshot Park is thought to boast a huge 120 rooms.
Of course, the Earl and Countess of Wessex, like most other royal couples, normally keep the interior of their home as private as possible. However, aerial photos of Bagshot Park suggest the family certainly aren't short on space.
Sophie took part in a video call with the Thames Valley Air Ambulance during the COVID-19 lockdown, which gave a sneak peek into her beautiful kitchen.
Pictured behind Sophie were some stunning gray cabinets, one with some elegant white and deep purple china, and the other with some other ornamental pieces, such as a vase and a gold-plated dish.
There is also white marble detailing on the wall, with a hint of a painting to the left of Sophie.
Back in 2015, the Countess also conducted an interview and photoshoot with Harpers Bazaar at her home, revealing the first sneak peek inside the space she shares with the Queen's youngest son.
The photos taken for the publication show how the family have decorated, and it all seems very regal.
In a photo taken of Sophie in the living room, you can see that one of their favorite colors is a light blue—with blue wallpaper, blue and gold curtains, and blue furnishings, such as a sofa and a chair in the color. There are also plenty of lavish touches, including a huge, ornate wooden desk, an enormous bouquet of flowers and a glittering chandelier.
In another picture, it's clear that Sophie and Edward hugely favor wooden decor in their home, as the Countess poses alongside a huge, wooden wall with elaborate images carved into it.
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What are the Bagshot Park grounds like?
As evidenced by aerial photographs, the home is surrounded by plenty of lush green space—51 acres, in fact.
The home's enormous green space is interspersed with an array of trees, bushes, and pathed walkways, as well as an enormous driveway at the front of the house.
Where is Bagshot Park?
The Wessex family home is located in Surrey, close to places like Guildford and Woking. And as it is also so near to Windsor Castle (just a 20-minute drive), with the Queen reportedly having loved stopping by for tea.
Queen Elizabeth II and Sophie Wessex were particularly close, with a shared love of military history and horses, and enjoyed spending time together whenever they reunited.
The Countess of Wessex also once revealed that Louise and James were particularly close to their grandmother, thanks to the fact they lived so close to Her Majesty.
In an interview with Sky News, Sophie shared, "We're a lot more fortunate because we live so close to the Queen, so when she spends a lot of time at Windsor at weekends, our children are more fortunate, because they can go over and have tea with her on a regular basis."
Is Bagshot Park open to the public?
Bagshot Park is a private home (despite also being a royal residence), so visitors can't see the property in person.
The public is able to visit various other royal homes though, including Buckingham Palace, Windsor Castle, and Sandringham, in Norfolk, however all royal residences are closed to the public throughout the period of national mourning, following the death of Queen Elizabeth II.
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Amy Hunt is an experienced digital journalist specialising in homes, interiors and hobbies. She began her career working as the features assistant at woman&home magazine, before moving over to the digital side of the brand where she eventually became the Lifestyle Editor up until January 2022. Amy won the Digital Journalist of the Year award at the AOP Awards in 2019 for her work on womanandhome.com.
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