We're all familiar with the British royal family and their historic castles, but there are 26 countries with monarchies across the globe, from Europe to Asia, Africa and beyond. Many of the world's royal dynasties have stories just as captivating as those of the House of Windsor, as well as lavish estates to match.
From Japan’s Emperor Naruhito, head of the oldest continuous hereditary monarchy in the world, to Abu Dhabi’s House of Nahyan, the globe’s richest rulers, click or scroll on to take a look inside the princely palaces of the world’s most illustrious royal families.
With an estimated fortune of $305 billion (£245m), the Al Nahyan dynasty is thought to be the richest family in the world. Headed up by Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, MBZ for short, who is President of the United Arab Emirates and ruler of Abu Dhabi, the family owns 6% of the world’s oil reserves and has investments in everything from Elon Musk’s SpaceX to Manchester City Football Club, as well as property and palaces around the globe.
A jewel in the crown of their property portfolio is Qasr Al-Watan, the presidential palace of the UEA, which is located in Abu Dhabi. Built between 2010 and 2017, the mammoth property is estimated to have cost around $490 million (£389m) to construct.
While MBZ and his family do not actually live there, instead residing at the nearby Al-Bateen Palace, it remains a working palace complex, hosting state visits and summits. Its gleaming white granite and limestone façade symbolises peace and was built to last hundreds of years.
The palace is triple the size of the Pentagon and was opened to the public in 2019 to give visitors a greater understanding of UAE’s heritage, traditions and values.
Central to its interior design is the eight-pointed star, an important symbol in Islam, which features throughout the palace, not least in the Great Hall with its spectacular domed ceiling and intricately decorated marble flooring.
The east wing of the palace includes this stunning library with more than 50,000 books on the country’s cultural, social and political history. Meanwhile, the Spirit of Collaboration hall, which hosts international summits, features a 12-ton chandelier made up of 350,000 crystals.
Founded in 1971 as a federation of seven emirates, the UAE has become a cultural hub with its own Louvre Abu Dhabi and the long-awaited Frank Gehry-designed Guggenheim Abu Dhabi due to open in 2025.
Very few photographs exist of the Qasr Al Bateen, where the Sheikh and his family live. The palace compound is surrounded by fences and gates and is said to have the most expensive security systems that money can buy.
Satellite photos show lush green grounds – no easy feat in a country where the average temperature hits 28°C (82°F) – complete with swimming pools and a tennis court. The buildings are modern and built with huge arched windows, columns and shaded colonnades.
It’s not just on home turf that the family has made its mark. The Al Nahyans’ property portfolio extends across foreign shores to the tune of an estimated $7 billion (£5.6m).
According to one report, the dynasty owns great swathes of real estate in Knightsbridge, Westminster and Kensington, including the Time & Life Building in Mayfair seen here. The value of the family's London assets is reportedly just behind the British royal family’s crown estate.
Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed has previously lived in the UK, spending a summer studying at Gordonstoun, the boarding school attended by King Charles lll, and at the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst, where he learned to fly.
In fact, the Al Nahyan family owns palaces all over the world, including Château de Baillon in the north of Paris. The French estate was once the home of Madame de Pompadour, the favourite mistress of King Louis XV.
Given their international portfolio, it's no surprise that the billionaire family’s presidential fleet includes eight impressive planes, including the Airbus A320-200 and three Boeing 787-9. MBZ’s personal collection boasts a $450 million (£361m) Boeing 747 and a $180 million (£144m) Boeing 787, which is decked out in luxury fixtures and provides a home-from-home for the ruler and his family on their jaunts around the world.
The Sheikh also relaxes in comfort aboard his luxury superyachts, whether it’s his relatively modest $60 million (£48m) berth named Rabdan, or the $500 million (£401m) Azzam, which was built for his father. At 590 feet, the megayacht is so big you can play golf on it.
Meanwhile, MBZ's $450 million (£361m) yacht, formerly known as Topaz, seen here, has a dance floor and beach club and has been borrowed by Leonardo DiCaprio twice. Talk about friends with benefits!
The current King Willem-Alexander has been monarch of the Netherlands since 2013 after his mother Queen Beatrix abdicated. He has been married to Argentinian-born Queen Máxima since 2002 and the couple have three daughters: Catharina-Amalia, Princess of Orange and next in line to the throne, Princess Alexia and Princess Ariane.
The family are seen here at their official residence, the Huis ten Bosch Palace in The Hague, in April 2020.
The official home of the Dutch royal family since the former Queen Beatrix took up residence here in 1981, King Willem moved his family into the 17th-century manor house on the outskirts of The Hague in 2018, following major renovations.
The former Queen lived there for more than 30 years, while her son, Willem-Alexander, previously resided nearby at the more modest Villa De Eikenhorst in Wassenaar.
The 30,000-square-foot Huis ten Bosch Palace is surrounded by woodland and features an ornate interior. This includes the Chinese Room and the Orange Hall, seen here, which is adorned with paintings by Jacob Jordaens, a pupil of Rembrandt.
The Orange Hall formed part of the first National Museum of the Netherlands according to Hola. It has played host to many world leaders, including Barack Obama, who dined here when he attended the Nuclear Security Summit in 2014.
Like Buckingham Palace, Noordeinde Palace is the King’s place of work. The palace is the property of the state and has been at the centre of various momentous events in the lives of the royal family, including the wedding of the King’s grandmother Queen Juliana to Prince Bernhard, and also the nuptials of his brother Prince Constantijn and Princess Laurentien.
Located slap bang in the middle of the chic Noordeinde shopping district in The Hague, the palace is the former residence of King Willem l, the first king of the Kingdom of the Netherlands. It is not open to the public.
The palace is used to conduct daily business, host important meetings and provide a backdrop for the occasional photo shoot with the Dutch royal family, as seen here in 2022.
Although formerly used as a residence by King Willem l, the Royal Palace in Amsterdam is now used mainly for entertaining and official functions, such as state visits. Also known as Dam Palace, it is open to the public throughout the year and hosts exhibitions.
The palace was originally built as a city hall in 1648 and was used as a residence by Emperor Napoleon’s brother, Louis Bonaparte, who became King of Holland in 1806.
While King Willem-Alexander and his wife Queen Máxima certainly look the part in these official photographs taken in the Empire-style halls of the palace, the couple is much more down to earth than their illustrious forbears.
In his younger days, the popular King was known for his love of partying. There was a public uproar when he became engaged to Queen Máxima, whose father, Jorge Zorreguieta, was Argentina’s agriculture minister in the 70s when the country was ruled by a military dictatorship.
The Dutch royal family lived at Villa Eikenhorst on the De Torsten Royal Estates in Wassenaar for 15 years before moving to Huis ten Bosch Palace in 2018.
The house was designed by Baron JB van Asbeck in the mid-1980s for the former Queen Beatrix’s youngest sister, Princess Christina, who lived there until 1996 following her divorce from former daycare administrator Jorge Guillermo.
Following her abdication in April 2013, the former Queen Beatrix moved into Drakensteyn Castle near Utrecht.
She had bought the castle, which sits on 49 acres of land, back in 1959 and initially lived there with her husband Prince Claus and their three sons until 1980, when she became Queen.
Monaco's royal dynasty, the Grimaldi family, became known around the world in 1956 after its ruler, Prince Rainier lll, married Hollywood movie star Grace Kelly. The couple had two daughters, Caroline and Stephanie, and their only son, Albert ll, became sovereign after his father’s death in 2005.
Prince Albert II's wife, former South African Olympic swimmer Charlene Wittstock, gave birth to twins Princess Gabriella and Prince Jacques in 2014 (pictured).
Built in 1191 as a Genoese fortress, the Prince’s Palace of Monaco has been the official residence of the House of Grimaldi for more than 700 years. Located in the medieval old town atop “Le Rocher” (the rock), the Italian Renaissance-inspired palace has undergone several transformations over the centuries, with Prince Rainier and his late wife Princess Grace undertaking major improvements that turned the palace into the attraction it is today.
The palace reopened to the public in August 2022 following five years of renovations, revealing previously unseen frescoes, which Hello Monaco reports have been attributed to Genoese masters of the 16th century.
A popular tourist destination, the revamped State Apartments include the Throne Room, which boasts magnificent frescoes and chandeliers and was the location for the civil marriage ceremony of Prince Albert and Princess Charlene in July 2011.
Their religious ceremony was held in the main courtyard, with its stunning marble staircase and ornate archways. The courtyard was built by Monaco’s first Prince Honoré ll, who also founded the extensive collection of art and tapestries now displayed throughout the palace.
Princess Charlene returned to palace life in Spring 2022, following a lengthy recuperation in her native South Africa from an illness attributed to an ongoing ear, nose and throat infection, according to Hello!.
The palace was also the backdrop to the wedding celebration of Prince Rainier lll and Grace Kelly, who married at St Nicholas Cathedral nearby.
The actress died in a car accident in September 1982 on her way back from the family’s country home Roc Agel. It was found that Princess Grace suffered a "cerebral vascular incident" and lost control of the vehicle.
Prince Albert is said to prefer the quiet life and often visits the family castle, Château de Marchais in Laon, northern France. The Prince, seen here with his father and his sister, Princess Caroline, spends several weekends at the rural residence during the summer and hosts hunting parties in February and September, according to Point de Vue.
One of Europe’s most low-key monarchies, the Spanish royal family has nonetheless weathered their share of scandals over the years. The current King, Felipe Vl, came to the throne in 2014 following the abdication of his father, King Juan Carlos I.
The King married his wife, Queen Letizia, a former news journalist and divorcee, in 2004 and the couple has two daughters, Leonor, Princess of Asturias and heir to the throne and Infanta Sofia.
Although the Royal Family no longer lives in the Royal Palace of Madrid, it is still well worth a visit. With 3,000 rooms and 1,450,000 square feet of interior, it's the largest palace in Europe and you could spend an entire day marvelling over its lavish rooms and furnishings.
There has been a royal building on the site since the 9th century and the building is still used for important state functions and ceremonies.
This view of the Throne Room shows that no expense has been spared, with an enormous central chandelier hovering above the ornate space. Also known as the Ambassadors' Room, its vault is frescoed with Tiepolo's "The Greatness and Power of the Spanish Monarchy". The history of the royal family is told through the images, leading the viewer's eye to the throne.
The furniture, including the throne, was brought from Italy by Giovanni Battista Natali, who was in charge of designing the space.
The Royal Palace may be the official seat of the Spanish monarchy, but King Felipe Vl, Queen Letizia and their daughters reside at the more low-key Zarzuela Palace, situated in the El Pardo complex just outside Madrid.
Commissioned by Felipe lV in 1627 and designed by Juan Gómez de Mora, it was intended to be a hunting lodge. At the end of the 18th century, Carlos lV decorated it with tapestries, porcelain, furniture and ornate clocks.
King Felipe delivered his first Christmas Eve message from Zarzuela in 2014. The new King vowed to usher in a new era of transparency following the scandals that had tarnished his father’s reign.
As well as the alleged financial irregularities of his father Juan Carlos l, who relocated to Abu Dhabi in 2020 in the wake of fraud investigations, his then brother-in-law, former handball player Inñaki Urdangarin, was convicted of fraud and tax evasion in 2017, according to The Guardian.
It marked a humiliating fall from grace for the once admired King Juan Carlos l, who ascended the throne in 1975, two days after the death of fascist dictator General Franco, and was widely acknowledged for steering Spain to democracy during a difficult period in its history.
He is seen here at the Zarzuela Palace with his wife, Princess Sofia, and their children, Princess Elena, Prince Felipe and Princess Cristina in 1969, prior to becoming king.
The summer residence of the Spanish royal family since 1973, Marivent Palace is located on the island of Mallorca and was commissioned by wealthy engineer and painter John Saridakis in 1923.
Built to house his collection of over 100 paintings by artists such as Sorolla and Picasso, the cliffside dwelling has incredible views of the ocean and expansive gardens, featuring 12 bronze statues by Joan Miró, which have been open to the public since 2017.
Nestled on a 350-square-foot plot and surrounded by lush gardens and pine groves, it has played host to many illustrious guests including Mikhail Gorbachev, Michelle Obama and Prince Charles and Princess Diana, who were photographed with their sons on the steps of the Italianate palace in 1986. These days it is used by former Queen Sofia.
Naruhito was sworn in as Japan’s 126th emperor at the Imperial Palace in Tokyo in November 2019, following the abdication of his father, Emperor Akihito. Like his father, Naruhito married for love when he wed Empress Masako, who worked in a diplomatic role before their marriage.
The couple have one daughter, Princess Aiko, who cannot ascend the throne, as only men in the direct male line of succession are allowed to reign as monarch.
Emperor Naruhito and his family moved into the renovated former Fukiage Sento Palace in the grounds of the stunning Imperial Palace, seen here, in September 2021.
They had previously resided at the Akasaka Imperial Residence, which was built in 1960 for Emperor Emeritus Akihito and Empress Michiko, who were Crown Prince and Princess at the time.
If you thought the British royal family had the monopoly on pomp and circumstance, think again. Emperor Naruhito formally proclaimed his ascendancy to the country’s Chrysanthemum Throne in an ornate ceremony in the Imperial Palace in 2019.
During a series of ancient rituals, wearing a traditional robe and black headdress, he pledged to pray for the happiness of his people from the “Takamikura”, the high-curtained throne in the ceremonial hall.
The Imperial couple hosted a court banquet in the Homeiden State Banquet Hall of the Meiji Palace (seen here during the Taisho period between 1912 and 1926). The event was attended by representatives from nearly 200 countries, including members of many royal families such as the then Prince Charles and Brunei’s Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah.
Although the main grounds of the palace complex are generally closed to the public, crowds surged into the Kyūden Totei Plaza on Emperor Akihito’s 85th birthday in December 2018 to wish him well. In a rare emotional address ahead of his abdication, he paid tribute to his people and his wife Empress Michiko, the first non-royal ever to join the tradition-bound Imperial family, who had been at his side for 60 years.
The former seat of the Emperor of Japan, today the Kyoto Imperial Palace and grounds are open to the public and host several important events during the year, including the Aoi Festival, seen here, which dates back 1,400 years.
The current Imperial family reportedly still uses the palace when they are in the region, as well as their summer retreat near the Nasu Mountains in Tochigi Prefecture.
King Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck, also known as the Dragon King of Bhutan, came to the throne in December 2008, two years after the abdication of his father, Jigme Singye Wangchuck.
There was initial shock when he married non-royal Jetsun Pema in October 2011 but she has since been embraced by the remote kingdom of some 750,000 people. The couple welcomed Prince Jigme Namgyel Wangchuck in February 2016, a second son, Jigme Ugyen Wangchuck, followed in June 2020, and their daughter Sonam Yangden Wangchuck was born in September 2023.
The couple married at Bhutan's historic 17th-century Punakha Dzong, which translates to “the palace of great bliss”. The majestic structure, constructed between 1637 and 1638, is the second oldest and largest dzong (or fortified building) in Bhutan and was the backdrop for the King’s historic coronation in 2008.
It has been ravaged by fire and earthquakes several times but has since been renovated and restored to its original design.
The popular, Oxford-educated King meets representatives from all sections of Bhutanese society in the grounds of his home, Lingkana Palace.
It was here that his wife, Jetsun Pema, gave birth to all three of the couple's children. Unlike his father, who has four wives, all sisters he married on the same day according to The World, King Jigme has made it clear that he intends to marry just once.
The world was offered a closer glimpse of the palace during the Prince and Princess of Wales' visit to Bhutan in 2016. The British royals can be seen here touring the palace and admiring this beautifully adorned hallway.
Jetsun Pema is known for her grace and style and has been dubbed the “Kate Middleton of the Himalayas”, according to Forbes.
Dating back to 1216 and located next door to the Lingkana Palace, the white and red palace of Tashichoedzong has been the seat of Bhutan’s government since 1952 and houses the throne room and the offices of the King. Just 26 when he ascended the throne, the fifth Druk Gyalpo of Bhutan had a hard act to follow.
According to the BBC, his father won international acclaim when he relinquished his absolute powers in March 2008 and Bhutan became a constitutional monarchy.
As well as these incredible homes, Dechencholing Palace in the capital of Thimphu is home to the wider Bhutan Royal Family. Built in 1953 following the coronation of the third King of Bhutan, Druk Gyalpo Jigme Dorji Wangchuck, and set among sweeping lawns, ponds and willow trees, the three-storey building has been built in traditional Bhutanese style and was home to the late royal grandmother, who had her own chapel.
Sweden’s longest reigning monarch, King Carl XVl Gustaf celebrated 50 years on the throne in 2023. He is photographed here with his heirs, Crown Princess Victoria and her 11-year-old daughter Princess Estelle. The King and his wife, Queen Silvia, have two other children, Prince Carl Philip and Princess Madeleine.
Crown Princess Victoria gained her title in 1980 when the Succession Act became gender-neutral and was made retroactive.
Rather like Buckingham Palace, the Royal Palace in Stockholm is the official home and the administrative headquarters of the Swedish Royal Family, where the King conducts his official duties. The sprawling palace is exceedingly grand and has a staggering 1,430 rooms.
He may want to keep his head down however, as it has been announced that filming is underway on the Swedish version of hit Netflix series The Crown. The Swedish show has a working title of Monarki.
The British royal family are not the only ones to enjoy the odd balcony scene, it would appear. Crown Princess Victoria played to the gallery when she and her new husband, Prince Daniel, Duke of Vastergotland, waved to well-wishers after their wedding at the Royal Palace in June 2010. The event was said to be the biggest royal wedding since the marriage of the Prince of Wales to Lady Diana Spencer in 1981.
King Carl XVl Gustaf and Queen Silvia moved from the Royal Palace in Stockholm to nearby Drottningholm Palace in 1981, preferring the more secluded location on the island of Lovön.
Inspired by the palaces of France and Italy, the royal family has used the palace since the reign of King Oscar and the palace and grounds were designated a UNESCO Heritage Site in 1991.
Crown Princess Victoria and her husband Prince Daniel moved to Haga Palace in Solna outside Stockholm following their marriage in 2010 and it has become a family home for their two children Princess Estelle and Prince Oscar.
It was also the childhood home of her father King Carl XVl Gustaf and his older sisters during the 1930s and 1940s, before his father Prince Gustaf Adolf’s death in 1947.
These images of Crown Princess Victoria’s children showcased the contemporary and pared-back style of the palace's neutral interiors, which were renovated for the needs of a busy modern family.
Prince Oscar turned eight in March 2024, while Princess Estelle, who turned 12 on 23 February 2024, is second in line to the throne after her mother.
The Swedish royal family spends much of the summer at Solliden on the island of Öland in the Baltic Sea. The palace was originally built for Crown Princess Victoria in 1906 and was inspired by the Italian Villa San Michele on Capri, home of Swedish royal physician Axel Munthe, who is said to have had a close relationship with the Crown Princess.
The royal family is pictured here outside the palace's grand exterior. The summer residence is no doubt a welcome refuge for the monarch when the spotlight becomes too much.
In a documentary to mark his Golden Jubilee, the King revealed that the secret to the success of his 47-year marriage is separate bathrooms.
King Misuzulu Zulu was crowned King of the Zulu nation in September 2022, following a bitter royal succession dispute. It was the first coronation in more than five decades, following the passing of his father, King Goodwill Zwelithini, who died in March 2021 of a diabetes-related illness.
King Misuzulu is the eldest son of the late monarch’s third wife, who he designated as regent in his will, according to The Guardian.
With an estimated population of 14 million, the Zulu kingdom boasts seven palaces, six of which are located in the small KwaZulu-Natal town of Nongoma. These include Osuthu Palace, the main residence of the late King Goodwill Zwelithini, which is distinctive for the two elephants and tusks that flank its entrance.
The late King was a descendant of King Cetshwayo, who led the Zulu nation against the British colonialists in 1879, reports The Guardian.
Dignitaries including South African President Cyril Ramaphosa and Charlene, Princess of Monaco attended the memorial service at the royal palace in recognition of the leader who, while having no official government powers, remained a key figure in democratic South Africa. Mourners joined a procession to the palace. The King left behind six wives and at least 28 children.
Distinct from the lavish surroundings enjoyed by many of the Zulu royal family today, King Cetshwayo, the last king of the independent Zulu nation, lived a simple and traditional life. A reconstruction of his 'isigodlo' (chief’s residence) can be seen at the Ondini Cultural Museum near Ulundi. The original structure and much of Ulundi were destroyed by the British before the eventual demise of the Zulu Kingdom in 1883.
While the new King, seen here with Zulu regiments at the Khangelamankengane Royal Palace, has been installed on the throne, all is not well.
Misuzulu is the first son of Zwelithini’s third wife, Queen Mantfombi Dlamini Zulu, who he designated as regent in his will. When she died a month later and Misuzulu was named successor, all hell broke loose. Zwelithini had at least 12 sons and it was not assumed that Misuzulu was next in line. His opponents are still fighting. Sounds like a royal family rivalry!
While the small European country of Luxembourg may not have a king or queen, it does have a royal family in the form of Grand Duke Henri and Grand Duchess Maria Teresa. Together, the couple has five children: Prince Guillaume, Prince Felix, Prince Louis, Princess Alexandra and Prince Sebastian.
Grand Duke Henri has an estimated net worth of around €3.6 billion (£3.1bn/$3.8), so this royal family can certainly afford to live in luxury.
The official residence for the monarchy is Berg Castle, situated in the town of Colmar-Berg, in central Luxembourg, which came under the ownership of the Grand Dukes of Luxembourg in 1845. It was recognised as the exclusive royal home of the Grand Duke in 1848.
The old castle was demolished in 1906 after it was deemed inappropriate for modern living. Shortly after, work began on the new castle we see today, which was completed in 1911. The castle's redesign was the work of Munich-based architect Max Ostenrieder and local architect Pierre Funck-Eydt.
Sadly, the palace was occupied by Nazi Germany during the Second World War and many of its most valuable works of art were stolen. The Nazi regime also made substantial changes to the castle’s internal architecture, repurposing the grand building as a concert hall and tavern.
After the war, an extensive restoration project took place between 1991 and 1996 and the castle was finally returned to its former glory.
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