Royal Castles Still in Use
Most medieval castles are museums. The family that once occupied them is gone, the political system that created them has dissolved, and the building survives as heritage rather than as a functioning centre of power. But a surprising number of royal residences built on medieval or early modern fortifications remain in active royal or state use today — received by heads of state, used for official ceremonies, or occupied as genuine private residences by the families that have held them for centuries. These buildings occupy a different category from the heritage castle: they are functioning buildings whose history has not ended. Find them all on the map.
Windsor Castle, England
Windsor Castle has been a royal residence since the 11th century and is the longest-continuously-occupied castle in the world. The British monarch uses it as a weekend residence throughout the year, as the principal venue for state visits and investiture ceremonies, and as the location of the annual Order of the Garter service. Queen Elizabeth II died here in September 2022.
The castle's medieval fabric — the Round Tower on its motte, the two wards and their ranges, the St George's Chapel — is embedded in 19th-century refurbishments by Jeffry Wyatville that gave it its current silhouette. Visitor access is managed around the royal family's use: the State Apartments are accessible when the monarch is not in residence, the chapel is open most days, and the Changing of the Guard takes place several times weekly.
Edinburgh Castle, Scotland
Edinburgh Castle remains the seat of the Secretary of State for Scotland and the site of the Scottish Crown Jewels and the Stone of Destiny. Its military garrison, though now ceremonial rather than operational, is maintained; the One O'Clock Gun is fired daily from its eastern battery. The castle's continuing function as a state building distinguishes it from the castle museums that surround it in the Scottish landscape.
Prague Castle, Czechia
Prague Castle is the official seat of the President of the Czech Republic. The president's offices and official residence occupy the western wing of the Second Courtyard; the changing of the Presidential Guard takes place at the main gate on Hradcany Square hourly through the day. The castle's continuing function as a state building — with active offices, security, and ceremonial life — coexists with its identity as a major heritage tourism site.
Drottningholm, Sweden
Drottningholm Palace on Lake Malaren near Stockholm is the private residence of the Swedish royal family; King Carl XVI Gustaf and Queen Silvia have lived here since 1981 rather than at the official royal palace in central Stockholm. The main palace is partially open to visitors, the formal gardens are accessible year-round, and the Chinese Pavilion — a Rococo summer retreat in the grounds — opens seasonally. The castle's continuing use as a private residence means that the experience of visiting is different from a standard heritage site: there are rooms in use that the visitor cannot enter.
Reggia di Caserta, Italy
Caserta, the Bourbon palace begun for Charles III of Naples in 1752, is the largest royal palace in the world by volume. Though no longer a royal residence after the Italian unification, it remains an Italian state property used for official functions, is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and its grounds and water gardens are maintained at the standard of a working palace rather than a museum. The 1,200-room palace and its cascade and water garden are among the most impressive 18th-century ensemble in Europe.
Chateau de Versailles, France
Versailles is not currently a royal residence — France has been a republic since 1870 — but it is classified as a national palace and is used for state functions. The Senate and the National Assembly meet here for joint constitutional sessions. State visits from foreign heads of government may include events at Versailles. Its continuing role as a French state property rather than a conventional museum distinguishes it from the other great French chateaux.
Hohenschwangau, Bavaria
Hohenschwangau — the yellow-painted castle below Neuschwanstein in the Allgau — was the childhood home of Ludwig II of Bavaria and the family castle of the Wittelsbach dynasty. It is still owned by the Wittelsbach family and operated by them as a heritage attraction. The interiors retain their 19th-century furnishing in an unusually complete state, including furniture that Ludwig II used as a child. The contrast with Neuschwanstein directly above — state-owned and a heritage attraction — illustrates the two different trajectories of dynastic castle ownership in 20th-century Europe.
The Pattern of Royal Castle Survival
The castles that have survived as functioning royal buildings share a common pattern: they were too large, too central, or too symbolically important to be abandoned; the monarchies that occupied them survived into the 20th century with their territories intact; and the maintenance costs were absorbed by the state or by the remaining family resources.
The castles that have not survived as royal buildings — the Habsburg hunting lodges, the Bourbon secondary residences, the minor German dynastic seats — fell to one of the standard fates: conversion to hotels, museums, or schools; subdivision into apartments; or simple abandonment.
Explore on the map
Every royal castle and palace mentioned in this article is on the interactive map, and the distinction between still-active and heritage-only buildings is part of the information available for each site.