12 private royal living rooms: Princess Anne’s modest home, Princess Kate’s ‘museum’ & more

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex showed more of their Montecito home than ever before in their Netflix documentary, Harry & Meghan, and one of the clips showed Harry reading to his children in their light and airy lounge. 

The doting dad was seen sitting on a neutral sofa, which was dressed with matching cushions with fringe-trimmed edges and sheepskin-style throws. Their dogs were seen enjoying the sunny spot thanks to the large windows in the background, which open out onto their patio. 

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s first home together was Nottingham Cottage on the Kensington Palace grounds. The property is a sweet cottage with quirky features and low ceilings. Writing in his memoir, Harry explained: “The rooms were tiny, and the ceilings were doll’s house low. I gave her a quick tour, which took thirty seconds. Mind your head! I’d never noticed until then just how shabby the furniture was.”

In a Netflix photo, their cosy lounge was revealed with compact white sofas, neutral painted walls and a few carefully curated decorations like framed photos and striped cushions. 

Princess Anne surprised fans when she unveiled her homely living room at Gatcombe Park where she watched Scotland play rugby alongside her husband Sir Timothy Laurence during the pandemic. It features a red patterned sofa and matching armchair, pale green walls, wooden furniture, and a plasma TV. The royal has decorated the space with lots of ornaments, books, and framed pictures on the walls.

Royal fans got a very rare look inside Prince William and Princess Kate’s living room at Kensington Palace when they hosted former US President and First Lady Barack and Michelle Obama in April 2016. The room has plush cream sofas positioned around an upholstered coffee table, and wooden dressers displaying a selection of photos, ornaments, and lamps.

Prince Harry revealed what Meghan Markle first thought when she toured the property, when he wrote in his book, Spare: “I saw Meg’s eyes widen as we entered their front door, walked past their front sitting room, down their hallway, into their study. ‘Wow,’ Meg said several times. The wallpaper, the crown molding, the walnut bookshelves lined with color-coordinated volumes, the priceless art. Gorgeous. Like a museum.”

The monarch currently lives at Clarence House with his wife Queen Camilla, and their garden room is occasionally used for official visits as well as personal time. As well as statement sofas, the room is awash with antique pieces of furniture and ornaments. Plus, a beautiful patterned rug, proving the royals aren’t afraid of print clashing.

The White Drawing Room at Buckingham Palace is one of the most intimate State Rooms that is regularly used for audiences and small gatherings. As the name suggests, the room has a white colour scheme, with opulent gold accents via mirrors, artwork and furnishings. Better still, there is a secret entrance that the late Queen Elizabeth II used to enter, which is concealed as a mirror and cabinet.

King Charles can take advantage of impressive views of the rest of the castle from the sofa in this sitting room at his Windsor home. The late Queen Elizabeth II was been pictured in the room as she held her weekly audience with Boris Johnson via telephone. The cosy living room offers a more informal setting for meetings compared to other state rooms.

The saloon at Sandringham House is said to be the royals’ favourite place to relax on the evenings during their time in Norfolk, according to reports. The impressive room spans two floors and has ornate wooden columns, a piano and large sofas where the King and his family gather at Christmas.

King Willem-Alexander, Queen Maxima, and their daughters moved into Huis Ten Bosch in 2019 after carrying out significant renovation work. The salon is one of the cosiest rooms in the palace for the family to relax together, with a calming blue colour scheme across the walls, sofas and accessories. A giant collage by Maurice Scheltens and Liesbeth Abbenes represents key elements in the life of the family, such as King Willem’s cape on the day of his coronation.

When the Prince and Princess of Wales carried out a visit to Sweden in 2018, we got a glimpse inside the stylish living room at Crown Princess Victoria and Prince Daniel’s residence, Haga Palace. The room has a white and grey colour scheme with a grey marble coffee table, cream sofas lined with grey velvet cushions, and orange-toned curtains to add a pop of colour.

King Frederik X and Queen Mary of Denmark have a stunning living room inside Amalienborg Palace, with a wall mural, gold trims, and a blue-patterned chaise positioned around a contrasting rug.

Fredensborg Palace is the second home of the Danish royal family and Queen Margrethe of Denmark once shared a look inside the living room where the family like to spend spring and summer.

The majestic room features high ceilings with gold floral wallpaper and light blue wainscoting lining the bottom with metallic gold strips that match the doors. As for furniture, she has a large cream and blue patterned sofa, with an oak table and four chairs upholstered in the same design as the sofa.