King Charles’ private Scottish home has soared in value

Royal residences may not be sold and purchased in the same way as the average British home, but the value of these historical properties can still fluctuate. And in the past year alone, certain private estates owned by King Charles have seen their worth soar. But despite millions of pounds being spent on renovating Buckingham Palace, a different royal home topped the ranking as the home with the most increased value.

Before the death of his mother, Queen Elizabeth II, Charles and Camilla owned six estates of their very own across the UK. 

Their current home, Clarence House, was joined by their beloved Highrove House in Gloucestershire as their two main residences, though now, the likes of Buckingham Palace and Windsor Castle are among their property portfolio.

While home improvements are as beneficial to the value of royal buildings as they are to the average British household, new research by GetAgent.co.uk has revealed a surprising rise in the value of lesser lived-in residences, like Balmoral.

Experts at the estate agent comparison site found that the Royal Family has seen the value of 10 of their most famous properties increase by £125million in the last year alone, with the late Queen Elizabeth’s cherished Balmoral topping the ranking.

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According to the research, the current combined market value of Buckingham Palace, Hampton Court Palace, the Tower of London, St James’s Palace, Windsor Castle, Kensington Palace, Clarence House, Sandringham, Holyroodhouse and Balmoral is a staggering £7.5billion.

In the past 12 months, the property portfolio increased in value by 1.7 percent, with Balmoral Castle in Aberdeenshire, Scotland, up by an impressive 17.9 percent.

Co-founder and CEO of GetAgent.co.uk, Colby Short, said: “There’s no bricks-and-mortar portfolio as impressive as the royal family and the estimated worth of just 10 of the most famous properties they own is quite staggering, to say the least.

“However, much like the regular market, the royals are susceptible to the fragmented nature of the UK property market and so while the hotter market conditions in Scotland have seen Balmoral steam ahead where annual price growth is concerned, the slower market of central London has seen the likes of Buckingham Palace, Clarence House and St James’s Palace creep up by just 0.3 percent in the last year.”

Who owns the royal residences?

While King Charles owns several estates privately, the Crown Estate is responsible for a large portion of the royal portfolio. Anything owned by the estate belongs to the reigning monarch “in right of the crown”, but it is not their private property.

The portfolio includes Buckingham Palace, areas of London such as St James’s and Regent Street, as well as farmland, offices and retail parks.

The crown estate is also responsible for managing the Windsor estate, which includes parkland and ancient woodland, and Ascot racecourse.

However, Charles’s privately owned estates include Sandringham House, Balmoral Castle, and Highgrove House. He also has the properties under the Duchy of Lancaster.