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Royal Residences: A brief history of Highgrove House

Where is it located?

Highgrove House is situated southwest of Tetbury in Gloucestershire, England. The house is located just six miles away from Gatcombe Park which is another royal residence located between the villages of Minchinhampton and Avening.

When was it built and when was it used as a royal residence?

The original Highgrove House was built between 1796 and 1798 and designed by architect Anthony Keck. The Georgian-style house was lived in by many families before it was bought by the Duchy of Cornwall in 1980 from Maurice Macmillan, the son of former Prime Minister, Harold Macmillan.

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Prince Charles remodelled Highgrove using neo-classical architecture in 1987. The house and gardens are run using the Prince’s environmental beliefs which have been the subject of many books and television programmes.

During his first marriage to Diana, Princess of Wales, the family would spend the weekends in Gloucestershire with their two children, Prince William and Prince Harry, before going back their London residence of Kensington Palace.

Who is it used by today?

Today, Highgrove House is one of the country residences of the Prince of Wales and the Duchess of Cornwall. The couple also live in Clarence House when they are in London, as well as Birkhall and the Castle of Mey when in Scotland.