Most extravagant royal palaces: King Charles’ London home, Queen Letizia’s Madrid palace & more

Buckingham Palace is one of the most iconic tourist attractions in London. The interior of the 775-room palace is just as impressive as the imposing exterior, featuring a ballroom, a music room, the grand staircase and a private audience room.

Amenities also include a doctor’s office, a home cinema, an ATM and an indoor swimming pool which was commissioned in 1938 to allow the then-Princess Elizabeth and Princess Margaret privacy as they learnt how to swim.

Between July and October, the gardens and state rooms are open to visitors, while King Charles and Queen Camilla are reportedly planning to make the official royal residence their main UK base (instead of Clarence House) from 2027.

The Chateau de Versailles is steeped in history as it is where the Treaty of Versailles was signed in 1919 to end the Second World War. 

It took place in the Hall of Mirrors, which is made up of 17 arched windows each featuring 21 individual mirrors. The Palace also boasts 250-acre gardens including 600 fountains, 55 water features, and 372 statues.

The palace’s layout is centred around the king’s state apartment – seven rooms decorated with marble panelling and painted ceilings – and the largest room outside of this is the Gallery of Great Battles, which covers almost the entire first floor of the South Wing.

The former royal residence was commissioned by King Louis XIV in the 17th century but is now owned by the government of France. Attracting around 15 million people every year, it is one of the most popular tourist attractions in the world.

The Palace of Versailles acted as inspiration for Drottningholm Palace, which was built by architect Nicodemus Tessin for Queen Hedvig Eleonora in 1662.

Located on an island in Lake Mälar, it is on UNESCO’s World Heritage list and is considered the most well-preserved royal castle built in the 1600s in Sweden.

It now features the Palace Theatre and the Chinese Pavillion, which can be viewed by the public on tours. One area off-limits is King Carl XVI Gustaf and Queen Silvia’s private residence in the southern wing.

As the largest palace in Western Europe, it seems fitting that the Royal Palace of Madrid earns a place in the top most extravagant palaces.

Built in the 18th century, it sits on the site of fortress-turned-palace Antiguo Alcázar and features over 3,000 rooms including a library, an armoury, a pharmacy, a throne hall, and a chapel.

Inside, it is decorated with artwork from Caravaggio, Velázquez and Goya.

It acts as the official residence of the Spanish royal family, although King Felipe and Queen Letizia’s main base is Zarzuela Palace and the Royal Palace of Madrid is only used for state ceremonies.

Once described by poet Constantijn Huygensas as “the eighth wonder of the world”, the Royal Palace Amsterdam now serves as Queen Maxima and King Willem-Alexander’s residence for state visits, award ceremonies, and other official functions.

It was originally built as Amsterdam’s town hall by architect Jan van Campen, but in 1808, King Louis Bonaparte transformed the building into a palace.

Notable features include the citizen’s hall, and sculptures and paintings by  Rembrandt’s students, Govert Flinck and Ferdinand Bol.

Turkey’s Dolmabahçe Palace served as the official residence of six Sultans and a Caliph from 1856 to 1924. Emperor Abdülmecid I turned to architects Garabet Balyan and Nigoğayos Balyan to create a palace that combined Ottoman Baroque and Neoclassical inspirations.

The 284 rooms are decorated with an incredible 14 tonnes of gold on the ceilings, as well as a crystal chandelier gifted from Queen Victoria.

The Forbidden City delivers exactly what the name promises – 90 palace compounds covering around 180 acres with over 900 buildings.

The UNESCO World Heritage Site was constructed between 1406 and 1420 by the Ming emperor Yongle and now boasts the largest collection of preserved ancient wooden structures in the world. It has been home to more than 20 emperors in the past, but it now attracts 16 million visitors each year.