Among the world's most frequent flyers, the jet-setting British Royal Family have visited just about every nation on the planet, though the countries of the Commonwealth take precedence and actually made up a third of the late Queen Elizabeth II's overseas trips. As you might imagine, the members of the UK monarchy get to stay in some fabulously luxurious places when they're on their travels. From governers' mansions to world-class hotels, let's take a look at nine of the most wow-factor buildings to have hosted the senior royals...
The British monarch is Canada's head of state, so it goes without saying that the sovereign is obliged to visit the North American nation as often as possible. During her 70-year reign, Queen Elizabeth II made 22 official tours of the nation, more than any other Commonwealth country, the last being in 2010. The late Queen is pictured during the visit with the then-Canadian prime minister, Stephen Harper.
When in Canada's capital Ottawa, the Queen would stay at the 175-room Rideau Hall, the official royal residence, which is also an official residence of Canada's governor general, along with the Citadelle of Quebec. Dating back to 1838, the storied property was purchased in 1868 by the Canadian government for official use and has been added to over the years, most notably in the 1870s when the grand Ballroom and Tent Room were built.
The elegant Ballroom, with its glittering Waterford crystal chandelier and a portrait of Queen Elizabeth has an even more important role, since it's where Canada's cabinet ministers are sworn in.
Also of note are the additions made to the building in 1913. They include the construction of the Mappin Block, linking the Tent Room to the Ballroom. Around this time, the Long Gallery, which is to the east of the Tent Room, came into being. This particular space is renowned for its Chinoiserie decorations that include carpets donated by HSBC, as well as a Steinway & Sons baby grand that belonged to Canadian classical pianist Glenn Gould.
Rideau Hall is open to the public, though the Royal Suite, dubbed the Queen's Bedroom, is strictly off-limits. Part of the original residence was built in 1838, no recent pics of the oval-shaped chamber have been released, but this image of the space from a 1957 postcard gives you an idea of how it once looked.
During their 2016 maiden tour of India and Bhutan, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge (now the Prince and Princess of Wales) famously recreated Princess Diana's iconic Taj Mahal photo on the last day of the official tour. Before that, they spent a night at the suitably regal Taj Mahal Palace Hotel in Mumbai, a long-time favourite of the Windsors.
The opulent five-star hotel was built in 1903 and hosted Emperor King George V and Queen Mary, before offering numerous royal guests over the years a luxurious place to stay. As part of their visit to Mumbai, the Prince and Princess of Wales, William and Kate, attended a Bollywood gala evening and paid their respects to the victims of the 2008 terrorist attacks which had targeted the venerable hotel.
The couple are said to have turned down the 5,000-square-foot, 15-room Tata Suite, the hotel's most luxurious accommodation, which at the time cost 900,000 rupees or around $13,600 (£11k) a night, according to India.com. Instead, William and Kate opted for the less expensive 1,800-square-foot Rajput Suite, which is wonderfully sumptuous nonetheless, as you can see from this picture of the beautiful living room.
Showcasing the very best of Indian craftsmanship, the suite, which would have set the royals back 400,000 rupees per night or about $6,000 (£5k), draws inspiration from the palaces of Rajasthan. Among the many highlights is the Sheesh Mahal study, with its marquee of mirrors, inlaid mother-of-pearl desk and traditional jhula swing.
The luxury decor extends to the suite's bedroom, which boasts a marble chevron floor, exquisite teak furniture and high-end Ploh bedding. No wonder John Lennon and Yoko Ono found it so hard to leave that they holed up in the suite for five days during the 1960s. Other big-name guests have included Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie, as well as the U2 singer Bono and his wife, Ali Newson.
While not a member of the Commonwealth, the US and its citizens are held in high esteem by the British Royal Family - an extension of the 'special relationship' enjoyed between American presidents and UK prime ministers over the years. All in all, the late Queen undertook 11 trips to the US, including four state visits, the last of which was in 2007 when HM and her husband the Duke of Edinburgh were pictured on the White House's Truman Balcony with then-President George W Bush and First Lady Laura Bush.
The monarch decided against staying at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue during her final US visit, though she and Prince Philip did sojourn there for their 1957 trip. Instead, the royal couple were booked into Washington DC's magnificent St Regis Hotel, which is conveniently located a stone's throw away from the executive mansion.
The jewel in Marriott's crown, the five-star Beaux Arts beauty, which opened in 1926 as the Carlton Hotel, puts Buckingham Palace to shame with its splendid décor, amenities and service. Over the decades, presidents, Hollywood icons and other VIPs, as well as royalty, have passed through its majestic Grand Lobby, which features a Florentine gold ceiling, crystal chandeliers and decadent furnishings.
Among the hotel's peerless amenities is the 2,508-square-foot Astor Ballroom, which is regarded as Washington DC's poshest and most sought-after entertaining space. It takes your breath away with its ornate chandeliers, Palladian windows and gilded mirrors, not to mention the fancy vaulted ceiling.
For the 2007 visit, the Queen and her husband are likely to have stayed in the hotel's 2,510-square-foot, two-bedroom Presidential Suite, the largest in DC, which fittingly comes with butler service. Here's a recent snap of the most lavish accommodation in the St Regis, though it has since been renovated. Needless to say, the suite doesn't come cheap, with the hotel charging a whopping $7,500 (£6k) per night.
Commonwealth member Jamaica is edging closer to becoming a republic, but at present the British monarch, Charles III is the Caribbean island nation's head of state. In total, the Queen paid the country six visits, with the final trip taking place in 2002. During the official visit, the Monarch and Prince Philip stayed at the idyllic five-star Half Moon Resort in Montego Bay.
Still run by three of the original families who founded it in 1954, Half Moon is the go-to resort for US presidents and A-list celebrities holidaying in Jamaica—and for good reason. Service is second to none, and on top of offering two heavenly private sugar-sand beaches, the resort wows with a plethora of high-end amenities, including a spa, 18-hole golf course and equestrian centre, something the late horse-loving Queen would clearly have appreciated no-end.
In keeping with its regal allure, the resort features a Royal Pavilion and a selection of Royal Villas, each of which is designed in a style that blends period Georgian sophistication with a laid-back Jamaican ambience. According to the Telegraph, the entire resort “oozes old-world colonial charm”. It's hardly surprising then that the royals are so enamoured of the place.
The décor of the rooms, suites, villas and public areas reflects the architecture, combining traditional Old World touches with locally handcrafted woodwork, paintings by Jamaican artists and other vernacular elements. Graced with an antique four-poster bed and Chippendale-style chest of drawers, this looks exactly like the sort of room the Queen and Prince Philip would have slept in.
Queen Elizabeth II and her consort aren't the only royals that have checked in to the resort. In the Diamond Jubilee year of 2012, Prince Harry, who is pictured here with Jamaican Olympian Usain Bolt, enjoyed a couple of days R'n'R out of his whistlestop Caribbean tour at the Half Moon, where he stayed, predictably, in one of the resort's Royal Villas. These days, you can expect to pay from around $3,000 (£2.5k) a night to stay in a Half Moon Royal Villa.
Over the course of her record-breaking reign, Queen Elizabeth II visited Commonwealth member Singapore a total of three times: in 1972, 1989 and 2006. This photo from her final visit shows the sovereign being entertained by a lion dance troupe while visiting a housing project in the city-state.
During the 2006 trip, the Queen and Prince Philip stayed at Raffles, the best-known and most celebrated hotel in the country. Named after the founder of Singapore, the five-star hotel opened in 1887, while the neo-Renaissance main building, with its pristine white façade, was built around a decade later.
A Singapore institution, the colonial-era hotel has hosted a slew of notable guests throughout the years in addition to royals and top politicians, including Charlie Chaplin, Elizabeth Taylor and Ava Gardner. Among its most noted spaces are the Tiffin Room, Palm Court, the Long Bar (where the Singapore Sling cocktail was invented) and the Victorian Grand Lobby, which seriously impresses with its soaring atrium and stately galleries.
HM and the Duke of Edinburgh were put up in the hotel's finest accommodation. Named in honour of the founder of Singapore, the 2,798-square-foot Sir Stamford Raffles Suite is one of two presidential suites in the hotel. It delights with two ravishing bedrooms, super-spacious living and dining spaces and a private verandah. These days, the suite will set you back a hefty $7,500 (£6k) per night.
Following in the footsteps of the Queen and Prince Philip, Wills and Kate visited Singapore in 2012 when the pair embarked on a tour of Asia to mark HM's Diamond Jubilee. Like the then-monarch, the couple chose to stay at Raffles, though they plumped for the hotel's other presidential suite, the Sarkies Suite, which is equally spectacular and was featured in the 2018 hit movie Crazy Rich Asians.
As is the case with Canada and Jamaica, the British monarch is Australia's head of state, with Charles III recognised as King of Australia. Over her long reign, Queen Elizabeth II visited the Land Down Under on 16 occasions, with the last visit taking place in 2011. Other royals have travelled to the country as well, including the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, Prince Harry and Meghan who toured the nation in 2018.
During their stay, the couple bedded down in Sydney's Admiralty House, the official residence of Australia's Governor General and the royals' home from home in the city. Built in the 1840s, the imposing heritage building commands a prime waterfront location in the Kirribilli district opposite the Sydney Opera House and Harbour Bridge.
Harry and Meghan are shown here in one of the residence's two reception rooms, receiving a gift of a soft toy kangaroo from Governor General Sir Peter Cosgrove and his wife Lady Cosgrove. Kensington Palace had just announced Megs was pregnant with the couple's first child and she described the pressie as the duo's “first baby gift”.
Prince William and Kate Middleton, the current Prince and Princess of Wales, also stayed at Admiralty House when they visited Australia in 2014, bringing along Prince George for the trip. While Kate was putting the baby to bed, Wills met with the then-Aussie Prime Minister Tony Abbott in Admiralty House's other reception room for tea and an informal chat.
Here's a picture of King Charles and Camilla, the King's Consort, from 2012 in the first reception room, posing with the governor general and his wife. In addition to the two reception rooms, the ground floor of the property contains a hallway, dining room and study, while the bedrooms are located on the upper floor. The residence also features a service wing, gatehouse, swimming pool and dock.
On her 21st birthday in 1947, the then-Princess Elizabeth was on a tour of South Africa, where she made the pivotal speech during which the future monarch vowed to devote her entire life to the service of “our great imperial family”. The oration was delivered in the grounds of Cape Town's Government House, which has since reverted to its original name of De Tuynhuys (Garden House).
The princess was staying at the historic property with her parents King George VI and Queen Elizabeth, as well as her younger sister Princess Margaret. The most venerable residence in our round-up, the building dates way back to the 1680s, starting out as a simple tool shed or "garden house" (hence the name), before being converted into a guesthouse for visiting dignitaries.
The property went on to become the official residence of pretty much every governor general of South Africa through Dutch, Batavian and British rule. After South Africa became a republic in 1961, the building served as the Cape Town residence of the state president and is now the head of state's official Cape Town office.
In 1948, a year after the princess' speech, the racist apartheid system was introduced in South Africa, and until its end in the early 1990s, the Royal Family stayed well clear of the country. Fittingly, President FW de Klerk made the announcement in 1992 that South Africa had “closed the book on apartheid” from the steps of De Tuynhuys. Queen Elizabeth II then made a further two State Visits to the country, in 1995 and 1999, as the guest of President Nelson Mandela.
More recently, Harry and Meghan travelled to the country in 2019 as part of their tour of Southern Africa and reportedly stayed at De Tuynhuys. The couple were warmly received and fell in love with the Rainbow Nation. It's even been claimed the Queen suggested the pair move to the country but while Harry was quoted as saying South Africa “would be an amazing place for us to base ourselves”, he and his wife ultimately decided against relocating there.
The British monarch is New Zealand's head of state and while, like Australia, there have been calls for the country to become a republic, the plans were put on the backburner following the death of Queen Elizabeth II last September. In total, the late Queen visited the nation 10 times during her 70-year reign, with the last visit taking place in 2002.
During her final trip, the monarch and Prince Philip stayed at the bucolic Huka Lodge on the Waikato River in Taupō. In fact, the Queen sojourned there a total of four occasions during her time on the throne. A celebrity hotspot to boot, the rustic-chic lodge has welcomed Victoria Beckham, Kate Winslet and Michael Douglas, along with other VIPs including US first lady Michelle Obama, continental European royalty and billionaires such as Bill Gates.
Founded in 1924 as a basic fishing camp, the getaway is now one of the world's most luxurious lodges, boasting a fine-dining restaurant, swimming and spa pools, tennis, croquet and pétanque courts and a yoga and meditation lawn, along with 20 guest suites and two cottages. HM would have clearly felt right at home in the main lodge, which rocks a Scottish vibe reminiscent of her beloved Balmoral Castle.
It's likely the Queen and her husband stayed in one of the cottages on the picturesque grounds, either the Owner's Cottage (aka the Alan Pye Cottage) or the Alex van Heeren Cottage, which is pictured here. The lodge's finest accommodation, it has four bedrooms, each with a fireplace, ensuite bathroom and dressing room, gorgeous open-plan living areas, a plunge pool and more.
It certainly goes without saying that New Zealand's premier lodge isn't for those on a budget. The Junior Suites start from around $1,700 (£1.4k) per night, the Alan Pye Cottage costs a minimum of about $3,600 (£3k) for a night's stay, while the crème de la crème Alex van Heeran Cottage will set you back from approximately $4,100 (£3.4k) per night.
Kenya's oldest safari lodge, the Treetops Hotel in the African Commonwealth nation's Aberdare National Park is the place Elizabeth Windsor “went up the tree a princess and came down a queen” after learning of her father's death while on holiday there with her husband in 1952.
The royal couple made return visits to the legendary lodge in 1959 and 1983. The original hotel's buildings were actually razed to the ground in 1954 by Mau Mau guerillas, having been requisitioned by British colonial soldiers as a sniper base. The lodge was rebuilt in 1957 and again in 1969 then remodelled in 2004, with this picture showing its most recent incarnation.
This photo that was on display in the main hotel building shows the three-bedroom treehouse where the princess-turned-queen and her other half stayed during their 1952 trip. Basic but comfortable, the accommodation, which was built in a giant fig tree, also featured bijou servants' quarters.
Here's a snap of the interior of the main hotel building that was taken last September. Though it's no-frills, at least compared to the royal residences and five-star hotels included in this round-up, the décor is characterful and exactly what you would expect from a game lodge in the wilds of Africa.
The room HM slept in during her 1983 trip was subsequently renamed the Princess Suite and adorned with photographs of Queen Elizabeth II, the Queen Mother and Prince Philip. Sadly, the hotel was a casualty of the COVID pandemic, closing its doors to visitors in October 2021 following 90 years in business and having yet to reopen.
Loved this? Check out more of the British Royal Family's private homes and palaces