King Charles III has now ascended the throne following the death of Her Majesty The Queen, who sadly passed away on September 8 at the age of 96.
During her reign, Queen Elizabeth II became fond of Balmoral Castle in Scotland, where she would often retreat during the summer months, whereas the new King prefers a Cotswolds getaway.
King Charles III and wife Camilla, the Queen Consort, split their time between London's Clarence House, Highgrove House, and Llwynywermod in Wales.
However, it is Highgrove in Gloucestershire that has special meaning to the monarch, who could replace the usual Royal home of Buckingham Palace in London with the Cotswolds residency.
Where is Highgrove House?
Highgrove House is located near Tetbury and Westonbirt Arboretum, which is close to Worcestershire down the M5.
This stunning home is where the new King spends his time forgetting about royal duties and losing himself among seedlings, trees and even his own private fairytale cottage.
"The house had been the home of Maurice Macmillan, Conservative MP for Farnham and son of the former Prime Minister Harold Macmillan, for 14 years," The Prince of Wales website reports.
Did King Charles III live at Highgrove House with Princess Diana?
The stately home was purchased in 1980 when Charles was still the Prince of Wales and it soon became the marital home of the future King and Princess Diana, who tied the knot in 1981.
Highgrove was initially occupied at weekends by the Prince of Wales, Princess Diana and their two children, Prince William and Prince Harry, who spent much a majority of their childhoods at the house.
However, Diana grew to detest the home as she felt like going there was "a return to prison".
While Charles longs to be in the countryside where he can indulge in his hobby of gardening, Diana preferred the city life at Kensington Palace, their former London home.
Diana also disliked the Gloucestershire home as it was so close to Camilla Shand, who lived nearby.
Andrew Morton wrote in his tell-all biography ‘Diana: Her True Story’: “But Charles’ friends were not the only reason why she loathed her country home.
She referred to her trips to their Gloucestershire home as ‘a return to prison’ and "rarely invited her family or friends.”
Diana’s friend, actor James Gilbey, said: “She dislikes Highgrove.
“She feels that Camilla lives just down the road and regardless of any effort she puts into the house, she never feels it is her home.”
Following the breakdown of Charles and Diana's marriage in 1992 and the Princess' tragic death in 1997, Charles officially wed Camilla in 2005.
Do Charles and Camilla live at Highgrove House?
Highgrove is the preferred home for the royal couple when they do not have any official engagements in London.
During their time in the capital, they reside at Clarence House, which is close to Buckingham Palace.
Highgrove is nine-bedroom, six-bathroom mansion and it is renowned for its beautiful décor and stunning gardens, which is loved dearly by the new King.
It also boasts exquisite interiors by Robert Kime (who also decorated rooms at Clarence House) and sustainable practices including solar panels and a natural sewage filtering system.
The home also includes a steel-lined panic room in order to keep the King and his wife safe during a terrorist attack.
According to royal biographer Brian Hoey's book Not in Front of the Corgis, the 'iron room', which is located on the first floor, "measures 20ft by 20ft, and "has been so built that even if the rest of the house is destroyed, it will drop intact to the ground floor".
"Inside are medical supplies," says Hoey. "Including containers of Charles and Camilla’s blood group, long-lasting food and drinks, an armoury, radio transmitters equipped to obtain a signal even within its steel walls, air purifiers and chemical lavatories."
Could Highgrove House become the official royal residence?
Now that Charles has ascended the throne, there is a possibility that Highgrove could become his preferred royal residency and Buckingham Palace could simply become 'a flat above the shop', according to the Daily Mail.
The new King is expected to keep Highgrove as his family home but as it is owned by the Duchy of Cornwall, William is set to inherit the property now that Charles is the monarch.
As William will become his father's landlord, the new King will be expected to pay around £700,000 a year in rent.
If the King does decide to keep Buckingham Palace as the base for the Royal Family, he is said to want to create a "slimmed down" set up, which would be similar to the way that prime ministers tend to live in an apartment at 10 or 11 Downing Street.
Charles is said to be keen on revising the amount of property owned by the Royals, with his coronation also projected to be shorter, cheaper and less ostentatious - a move which will no doubt be welcomed as it comes amidst the current cost of living crisis.
