King Charles' iron panic room that 'drops to the ground' in private home

King Charles has plenty of escape routes in case of emergency, but one of the most impressive is his "iron room" at Highgrove House.

Should something happen while he was at his Gloucestershire private property, which holds a special place in his heart, there is a secret steel-lined panic room on the first floor where he can retreat with his wife Queen Camilla with everything they'd need for an extended period of time.

According to Brian Hoey in royal biography Not in Front of the Corgis: "If the rest of the house is destroyed, it will drop intact to the ground floor".

The 20ft by 20ft room contains medical supplies and sustenance, he added. "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."

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King Charles purchased the property in 1980, and quickly showed around his then-girlfriend Princess Diana, asking her for interior advice. 

Diana reportedly found the request "quite improper" considering they didn't get engaged until 1981. Following their royal wedding, the former couple lived at the nine-bedroom and six-bathroom home with their two sons, Prince William and Prince Harry.

Escape routes

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Charles and Camilla's primary residence Clarence House in London is also thought to have a panic room, while Buckingham Palace has even more secret features. 

A hidden door in the White Drawing Room leads to the state apartments, underground tunnels reportedly linking to Whitehall and the Houses of Parliament, constructed during World War I,I offer an incognito exit route, and a hidden helicopter mat allows the monarch's private helicopter to land.

© WPA Pool

Charles can similarly make a swift exit undetected if he's at Windsor Castle, thanks to the castle's secret passageway.

In a BBC documentary, The Queen's Palaces, Fiona Bruce revealed an unassuming room inside the 900-year-old property, stating: "This is an office just tucked away in a corner of Windsor Castle. But look under here.

"Under the carpet, the presenter uncovered a wooden trap door leading to a secret tunnel. As if by magic, just lift these and the medieval castle emerges," she said.