Prince Edward And Duchess Sophie's Mansion Is 6x Larger Than Prince William's

Jul 19, 2021

Prince Edward is Queen Elizabeth II’s youngest son and is married to Sophie, Duchess of Edinburgh. Sophie and Prince Edward met in 1987 while she was working at Capital Radio and were married in 1999 at St. George’s Chapel, the site of many royal weddings and funerals, including Prince Philip's. The couple share two children, Lady Louise Windsor and James, Viscount Severn. Sophie had challenging pregnancies, but both children are doing well now.

The family’s official residence is at Buckingham Palace, while their private residence is located in Bagshot Park, Surrey. The pair often spend time with the queen and in fact, their Bagshot Park residence is only 11 miles away from her home at Windsor Castle, making it the perfect distance for Louise and James to visit their grandmother regularly.

In fact, Sophie told Sky News in a past interview, as reported by Hello!, that the family was "a lot more fortunate because [they] live so close to the queen, so when she spends a lot of time at Windsor on the weekends, [Louis and James] are more fortunate because they can go over and have tea with her on a regular basis."

The couple moved into the property in 1999 after their royal wedding and they've even extended the mansion's lease from The Crown Estate for a further 150 years. Allegedly worth £30 million ($41.1 million), the property boasts 51 acres of land and is believed to house a massive 120 rooms, since it was rebuilt in 1879 after being demolished. That's an incredibly large house even by royal standards — Prince William and Kate Middleton's home in Kensington has a mere 20 rooms in comparison. Let's take a look at Edward and Sophie's impressive abode.

Recently, Prince Edward and Sophie, Duchess of Edinburgh let the press into parts of their home for an interview, while the last year and a half of video calls have given us a further sneak peek into other areas of the house. 

One photo from their recent interview depicted the home's gorgeous light-filled conservatory that has views of the residence's lawns. It's been decorated with timeless terracotta brick walls, many house plants, and a barbecue and dining table for entertaining. 

In another interview, Sophie hosted BBC journalist Naga Munchetty in one of the residence's rooms which was classically decorated to fit the marble fireplace. Featuring green carpets with matching green striped chairs, the room was finished with a gold-edged mirror, vintage sideboards and high-end artwork.

Meanwhile, on various video calls, the couple has each shown off offices, with Prince Edward's featuring a wall-to-ceiling wooden bookshelf and carved wooden walls. Alongside many books, the shelf was littered with many trinkets and personal framed photos. Sophie took her video call in what appears to be a family room, as she stood in front of a DVD-filled bookcase that also housed books and games, giving us a hint into how the Wessexes enjoy each others' company.

In yet another video, we got a glimpse of perhaps the grandest room in the house. Featuring gorgeous carved wooden walls complete with large double doors with brass handles, the room was furnished with two glass side tables complete with matching brass legs. Decorating the space was a cream orchid plant, a classic lamp, and a selection of ornaments and photo frames.

In a sweet personal moment, Sophie released a video of herself baking scones, which also showed off the residence's kitchen. Featuring sage green walls with contrasting white cupboards and white marble benchtops, the space was soothing and very elegant. 

Meanwhile, in another clip, we got to see what appears to be a second kitchen from the residence. As Sophie sat in the corner of the space, the kitchen's chic navy cupboards were used to display a telephone and range of vases and ornaments, as well as a number of fine china tea sets.

Alongside impressive rooms, the property's exterior is just as magnificent. Built from red brick and stone in the Tudor gothic style, the mansion was listed as a Grade II building of "special architectural or historic interest" in 1976. The surrounding grounds are also listed as Grade II on the Register of Historic Parks and Gardens, and they boast a private lake as well as several stables. 

The original Bagshot Lodge had been occupied by King Charles I and a number of other royal family members before it was demolished and rebuilt from 1877-1879. After being rebuilt into the residence that stands there today, the first tenant was Prince Arthur, the son of Queen Victoria and Prince Albert. He lived there for over 60 years until his death in 1942, and he even passed away in the residence. 

As Edward and his family are only the second official tenants, and the property will stay in his family line for another 150 years, it's likely that either one of his children, Lady Louise Windsor or James, Viscount Severn, will keep it as their main residence once they're grown up.

Did you know where Prince Edward and his family lived? Did you know it was such a large and grand mansion? If you learned something from this article, then be sure to pass it on to those you know.