Get a glimpse inside these fabulous royal residences

The correct use of the term “palace intrigue” is to describe an institution whose members are actively working against each other. But let us offer another, albeit incorrect interpretation: an incessant fascination with what, exactly, is inside the grand estates of the royal family. Take a recently tweeted picture of Princess Anne watching television at her stately home of Gatcombe Park. The internet was instantly aflutter with commentary about her floral-print furniture, landscape paintings, and hefty collection of equestrian figurines.

It’s easy to see where the fixation comes from. We’ve grown up reading classic books, from Austen to Brontë, that idealise these grandiose locations. Their owners are celebrities whose movements are covered incessantly by the press, leading us to care more about their lives than other extremely-wealthy citizens of the world. Add to that the fact that these homes are oh-so-close yet tantalisingly off-limits to that public—sure, you can visit Kensington Palace, but you can’t visit the private apartments of William—and suddenly, you’re quite easily enchanted by an interior.

So, we took it upon ourselves to scour the archives for rare looks inside the royal family’s homes, and the rooms that aren't often open to the public. Below, we’ve collected the best glimpses, from Queen Elizabeth’s corgi-filled private residence at Windsor Castle to Prince Charles’s fascinating collection of art books.

1. Kensington Palace 1A, Home to the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge

In 2016, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge hosted a small dinner for President Barack and Michelle Obama at Kensington Palace. This was an event that brought dual joys: one, a toddler Prince George shaking the president’s hand in a bathrobe. Second, a glimpse inside their apartment. Photographers captured a warm beige living room, floral pillows, a large octagonal coffee table, and a pink-patterned chair.

2. Gatcombe Park, Home to Princess Anne

Gatcombe Park, the Gloucestershire country home of Princess Anne, is purely a private residence (although they do occasionally open its grounds for horse trails). So royal watchers were delighted when the family tweeted out a picture of the Princess Royal and her husband, watching rugby’s Calcutta Cup, a few weeks ago. They were surrounded by charming clutter: urns, books, papers, vases, and porcelain figurines. In their corner was a dog bed, and on the walls hung several landscape paintings.

3. Windsor Castle, Home to Queen Elizabeth II

At the onset of the coronavirus pandemic, the Queen shared a picture of herself chatting on the telephone with prime minister Boris Johnson at a private room in Windsor Castle. The image was soothing for a few reasons: one, it projected the stability of power by showing the head of government and head of state in constant communication. Two, it gave a view of the Queen’s distinctive interior design style, which involves multiple corgi tchotchkes.

4. Clarence House, Home to Prince Charles and the Duchess of Cornwall

Bless Prince Charles, who, to mark his 70th birthday in 2018, partnered with Google’s Arts and Culture division to give virtual tours of Clarence House. Some fascinating details discovered? A doric-style portico overlooking the garden, the Queen Mother’s Garter Banner (essentially, a flag given to a knight or lady) in the Entrance Hall, a bookshelf filled works about artists like Paul Cezanne and Peter Paul Reubens, a bronzed ceiling in the dining room, and charming pictures of Prince George’s christening in the morning room.

This article originally appeared on Vogue.com

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Queen Elizabeth just gave the world a peek inside her private residence at Windsor Castle