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Over the years many homes with ties to the British royal family have have come on the market, and now, with links to three of England’s queens, these Grade II listed properties offer their new owners a chance to play their part in preserving UK's architectural legacy.
Dating back to the 1500s and set in a 1.15 acres estate on the outskirts of Bath, Batheaston House was once owned by one of Queen Elizabeth I's many godsons, Sir John Harington, whose mother Isabella Markham was a gentlewoman of Queen Elizabeth I's privy chamber. A courtier and poet, Sir John's ultimate claim to fame was inventing the flushing toilet, a real luxury in 1596. In 1712, under the watch of its new owner, Henry Walters, the High Sheriff of Somerset, the house underwent a monumental reconstruction to emerge as the handsome Bath Stone home we know today.
In 1921, Batheaston House changed hands again and its new owner leased the property to tenants, including the noted piano teacher, Francesca Ferrari. Among her impressive list of students was Princess Beatrice, Queen Victoria and Prince Albert's youngest offspring. The princess is known to have visited her teacher at home. In 2015, architects Watson, Bertram and Fell brought the Victorian property into modern day, ensuring its architectural history is preserved and integrated with care. Now, the property is listed with Savills in Bath, with a guide price of £4.25 million.
In Northumberland, Beltingham House, a charming Georgian property, had been in the Queen Mother's family for over three centuries. A dower house close to the main home, it is easy to imagine a young Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon spending her childhood here before destiny came knocking and propelled her into the spotlight as the wife of King George VI. The Queen Mother was known to visit relatives on the estate up until her last years and soon after her death, the Bowes-Lyonses family sold the property to interior designer Andrew Bottomley.
Andrew's gentle refresh maintained the patina of the two-storey Grade II listed home, and added modern comfort, without veering away from its Georgian bones. With two acres of gardens, five reception rooms and just as many bedrooms, the house is listed with Finest Properties with a guide price of £1.75 million.
From the House & Garden archives: more properties with ties to the British royal family
- Forest Lodge: inside Prince William and Kate Middleton's new Windsor residence
- Inside Windsor Castle, the oldest and largest inhabited castle in the world
- Inside Clarence House: King Charles and Camilla's official London residence
- Inside Clarence House: King Charles and Camilla's official London residence
- A Royal Picnic Cottage in Balmoral has been restored and is ready to welcome visitors
