Vacation rentals on British royal estates, from Sandringham to a Scottish castle to Transylvania in Romania

In September, just days before Britain’s Queen Elizabeth died, news broke that one of her houses was available for rent on Airbnb.

Discreetly posted as: Garden House, Sandringham, United Kingdom, and “hosted by Norfolk Hideaways”, the posting created some excitement. But there are several British royal properties that can be leased as holiday lets.

And this is likely to continue because King Charles III seems keen to open up royal properties to the public.

In 2021, British newspaper The Sunday Times reported that Charles planned to turn the royal residences from “private spaces to public places” when he became king.

Buckingham Palace and Clarence House in London; Windsor Castle; Sandringham, in the east of England; and Balmoral, in Scotland, were said to be earmarked by the monarch. Balmoral may become a public memorial to the late queen, according to Britain’s Telegraph newspaper.

The king has not announced further details about the use and occupancy of the various royal palaces, castles and country houses, but here are some properties with regal links where visitors can spend the night.

1. Norfolk, England

Garden House, on Sandringham Estate, in East Anglia, was owned by Queen Elizabeth and now belongs to King Charles.

The detached, red-brick house with four bedrooms and two bathrooms was once the home of the queen’s head gardener (it has its own pretty garden) and is the closest property to Sandringham House, where the royals traditionally spend Christmas.

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The estate, “the Norfolk retreat of HM the queen”, has reopened to visitors following the end of the official period of mourning, but the main house, commissioned by Queen Victoria for her eldest son, who would become Edward VII, is closed for the winter and its gardens usually reopen in April.

The Royal Parkland, its walking and cycling trails, and the courtyard with various food and drink outlets, are open year round.

Sandringham is close to port town King’s Lynn, the Fens wetlands and several sandy beaches.

At the time of writing, Garden House had been removed from Airbnb. However, it does feature on the Norfolk Hideaways website. While there is no availability for the rest of the year and throughout 2023, bookings for 2024 may open in the coming weeks.

2. Carmarthenshire, Wales

The former Prince of Wales bought Llwynywermod in 2007, for a reported £1.2 million, as “the Welsh home” for himself and his wife, the then Duchess of Cornwall. The estate includes a trio of houses on 78 hectares (192 acres) of farmland, outside the small village of Myddfai and near the market town of Llandovery, in Carmarthenshire, southwest Wales.

When the royals are not in residence at Llwynywermod Farmhouse, two barn conversions, North Range and West Range, which form part of a courtyard attached to the farmhouse, are available for holiday lets. The residences feature traditional finishes such as slate flagged floors, wood-burning fires and heritage fabrics.

Picturesque, rural Myddfai is close to walking trails and nature reserves, while the Brecon Beacons mountain range is about a 45-minute drive away.

As you’d expect, security is tight, so police screen all guests making bookings on the Duchy of Cornwall Holiday Cottages website.

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Since Charles’ eldest son has now inherited his father’s former titles, there is speculation that Llwynywermod will become the Welsh residence of William and Catherine, the new Prince and Princess of Wales.

3. Caithness, Scotland

The late queen mother bought the 16th-century Castle of Mey, in the Scottish Highlands, in 1952, soon after the death of her husband, King George VI. Over the following few years, she oversaw the renovation of the castle and its grounds.

The current king has been a regular visitor from a young age and spends time at the estate each summer.

For rent is the Captain’s House, a cosily furnished six-bedroom residence. The Queen Mother is said to have enjoyed picnic lunches there during her stays at the castle every August and October.

The house has panoramic views of the sea and the Orkney Islands, and is great for walks, including on the nearby sandy beach, as well as fishing.

Alternatively, there’s bed-and-breakfast accommodation at the estate’s Granary Lodge. Guests there are able to arrange private tours of the castle (bookable in advance), including in the off-season (October to March), when it’s closed to the public.

Caithness, at the far northern tip of Great Britain, is known for adventure activities including hiking, climbing, mountain biking and surfing.

4. Transylvania, Romania

While he was the Prince of Wales, Charles bought several cottages in Valea Zalanului, a hamlet in Transylvania, central Romania. Because he was so taken with the unspoilt spot, he said, he wanted to support its biodiversity and rural way of life.

The Prince’s Cottage, The Lower Cottage and Stream Cottage are available to rent, each furnished with traditional fabrics and antique Transylvanian furniture.

Described as “The former Prince of Wales, King Charles’s private nature retreat” on the booking website Transylvania’s Authentic Charm, the property on which the cottages stand includes a forest, wild flower meadows, brooks and mineral springs.

The king, a known conservationist, is said to have stayed every year and was most recently spotted there in May, ahead of his mother’s Platinum Jubilee.

There are no televisions or radios; instead it is a peaceful nature retreat offering a chance for reading, wildlife watching, painting, photography or joining a guided walk.

Set meals are served communally for all guests, using local produce and drawing on Romanian, Hungarian and Saxon cuisines. Picnics and barbecues are prepared during the day for walking and horse-and-cart excursions.