With grand rooms and oodles of fascinating history, royal properties are truly magical, and each has their own amazing grounds, too. Royal gardens are meticulously planned, organised and executed by the dedicated team, and many have formed the backdrop for special occasions over the years.
King Charles III is a big fan of gardening and he's loud and proud about his passion. He's even proclaimed that it's "very important" to talk to plants and that they "respond" to this stimulation.
Several royal gardens are open to the public, so keep reading to discover which of Charles' glorious homes you can add to your summer to-do list…
© GettySandringham House and Gardens
Dates: 5 April – 10 October 2025 (except for closures between 20-29 July and 14-17 August)
Prices: £15 for adults, Under 17s go free, for gardens only
To book, visit sandringhamestate.co.uk
Sandringham House may be an icon when it comes to legendary royal Christmases, but the landmark home is also pretty spectacular in summer, too.
King Charles and Queen Camilla's Norfolk estate features a lake, a woodland and beautiful plants that can be visited by the public from April to October each year.
Top tip: The North Garden, a cottage style garden designed by Geoffrey Jellicoe, is a haven for bees and butterflies and it's truly magical.
© UnsplashBuckingham Palace
Dates: 12 July - 28 September 2025
Prices: £50 for adults, £25 for children, as part of wider tour
To book, visit www.rct.uk
It's the largest private garden in the whole of London, and it's where King Charles hosts his legendary garden parties. There's a state rooms and garden highlights tour which will allow you to see some of the best bits of the staggering 39 acres. Did you know that it's home to 350 types of wildflowers, around 200 trees, and even a three-acre lake?
Top tip: Survey the stunning lawn from the Garden Café ahead of your guided tour to truly soak up the splendour.
© Photo: Getty ImagesKensington Palace
Dates: Every day, 10am - 6pm
Price: Free
Steps away from the bustling high street, is the wonderful oasis of calm that is the wonderful palace gardens belonging to Kensington Palace.
When you visit, you'll get to see the Sunken Garden, which is where Prince Harry and Meghan posed for their engagement photocall and it is also home of the memorial statue of Diana, Princess of Wales. There is also a magnificent wildflower meadow with an array of stunning blooms.
Top tip: Cradle Walk gets its name from the most stunning floral arbour overhead – definitely one to take a picture of!
Balmoral Castle
Dates: 1 April - 10 August 2025
Prices: £18.50 for adults, £9.50 for children (Aged five - 16)
Balmoral Castle has been hailed as the favourite home of the late Queen Elizabeth II, and with such stunning scenery, it's easy to understand why.
Originally started under the supervision of Prince Albert, the gardens have been expanded and transformed by successive members of the royal family, with King Charles now taking charge. His father, the late Duke of Edinburgh commissioned a large kitchen garden, which is harvested each year during the royal family's annual summer holiday.
The formal gardens contain beautiful beds of flowers and a range of Victorian glasshouses to explore.
Top tip: The newly opened Thistle Maze was installed under the orders of King Charles and it's worth a visit
© Chris JacksonHighgrove House
Dates: April – 26 September 2025
Prices: £39.90 for adults
When you take one step into these gardens you'll realise why King Charles loves them so much. The monarch's private residence in Gloucestershire has been a labour of love for the royal and all the hard work has paid off..
Highlights include the cottage garden, sundial garden and wildflower meadow, a four-acre plot with oaks, chestnuts, poplars and beech trees.
Top tip: Swing by the Highgrove shop after your garden musing to pick up such treats as Highgrove honey, preserve and even organic gin!
© Royal Collection Trust / © His Majesty King Charles III 2024Palace of Holyroodhouse
Dates: 2 January – 29 December 2025
Prices: £25 adults, £12.50 children, for admission into house and grounds
There is beauty as far as the eye can see when in the garden of the Palace of Holyroodhouse as the estate is set against the dramatic backdrop of Arthur’s Seat.
Summertime is the best time to visit to see the colourful flowerbeds. When James IV built the first royal palace on these grounds, the gardens were even home to lions, tigers, and bears.
Top tip: There's now a public garden just outside the palace boundary for everyone to enjoy for free.
Frogmore House and Gardens
Closed to visitors
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle were lucky to have the extensive grounds of Frogmore House and Gardens on their doorstep when they lived at Frogmore Cottage, which is where Prince Archie spent the first few months of his life.
The gardens date back to the 1790s when it was created with winding lakes, wooded mounds, glades and bridges. The beautiful grounds even served as the Duke and Duchess of Sussex's wedding reception.
© GettyClarence House
Closed to visitors
King Charles' current royal home, located in London, is no longer open to the public. Visitors used to be able to take a guided tour of the frequently pictured Morning room and see the stunning Chippendale gold-lined sofa where the royals greet special guests.
Other highlights included seeing the Garden Room, which was created from two rooms which Princess Margaret lived in before her marriage, and visiting the library, where the Queen Mother hosted intimate dinners when she lived in the house.
The garden was never open for roaming, but what we do know about it is that Charles grows organic fruits and vegetables in his private space.
