King Charles III’s Cotswolds retreat has been a much-loved family home ever since it was purchased by the Duchy of Cornwall in 1980 from Maurice Macmillan, son of former Prime Minister Harold Macmillan.
Charles then oversaw a major restoration of the property in 1987, adding neo-classical elements to the original Georgian house. Highgrove was also where he chose to live with Camilla when he was the Prince of Wales.
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Where is Highgrove House?
Highgrove House is inside the Cotswold district in Gloucestershire, near the town of Tetbury.
How old is Highgrove House?
The house dates back to the 1790s. It was built in a Georgian neo-classical design on the site of an older property.
Who owns Highgrove House?
As Highgrove House is part of the Duchy of Cornwall estate, it is owned by Prince William. It's widely thought that King Charles rents the Highgrove estate from the Duchy.
What's special about Highgrove?
Today, Highgrove is best known for its spectacular gardens, which were transformed from neglected farmland into a biodiversity haven. Designed with input from visionary gardeners Rosemary Verey and Miriam Rothschild, the gardens encompass wildflower meadows, heritage orchards and a variety of specimen trees – many of which Charles was gifted. The Stumpery, a woodland garden, features ferns and sculpted tree roots, while the Thyme Walk is home to 20 varieties of thyme, interspersed with golden marjoram and primroses.
Highgrove has a reed bed waste water filtration system that manages the waste from the tearoom and Highgrove House. It is a natural gravity filtering system – the waste runs into a bark-filled pit, filters through reed beds and willow beds, then finally into a sump and out into a pond of clean water that's enjoyed by wildlife.
Does King Charles still live at Highgrove?
Before he became King, Highgrove was the main private residence of Charles and Camilla and they still use it as their country retreat today.
Surrounded by beautiful rolling Cotswolds countryside, it’s easy to see why the King has chosen to spend so much time here, shaping the interlinked gardens to, in his own words, “please the eye and sit in harmony with nature.” The estate is also home to Duchy Home Farm, which operates under organic farming principles, reflecting the King’s commitment to sustainability.
Can I visit Highgrove?
As it’s the private residence of King Charles III and Camilla, Queen Consort, the house itself is closed to the public. However, the gardens are open for guided tours from April to October and welcome over 30,000 visitors annually. There is a farm shop and tearoom for visitors to enjoy the Highgrove-made produce. There is also a Highgrove shop in the nearby town of Tetbury.
How much is Highgrove House worth?
While it's difficult to value the cost of royal properties, Forbes estimated that Highgrove House was worth $39 million (around £28 million) in 2023.
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Top image: the exterior of Highgrove House. Credit: Chris Jackson/Getty
