View the lush, rambling gardens, mammoth designs, incredible architecture and wondrous detail of royal palaces around the world. From Tehran to Bangkok each majestic monarchy has an incredible palace decorated in their countries unique style.

Design inspiration? Definitely. Maybe. Although you may have to scale down a bit in order to blend in to a typical residential neighborhood.

View the palaces of royalty across the globe

Buckingham Palace became the official residence of Britain’s sovereigns when Queen Victoria moved in after her crowning in 1837. The palace has over 600 rooms, including 52 bedrooms, 188 staff rooms, 92 offices and 78 bathrooms. The palace also functions as the official administrative headquarters of the monarchy and the place where all royal ceremonies are held.

The original early 19th-century interior designs included prevalent use of brightly colored scagliola and blue and pink lapis. King Edward VII oversaw a partial redecoration in a Belle Époque cream and gold color scheme. Many smaller reception rooms are furnished in the Chinese regency style with furniture and fittings brought from the Royal Pavilion at Brighton and from Carlton House.

Catherinethal (“Catherine’s valley”) is the palace of Catherine I of Russia in Tallinn, Estonia. Catherine received the palace as a gift from her husband Peter the Great after the successful Siege of Reval.  The palace is decorated in Petrine Baroque a form of Baroque architecture adored by Peter the Great. Since 1921 the palace houses The Art Museum of Estonia.

Dresden Castle, one of the oldest structures in Dresden, Germany, has been home to the Electors and Kings of Saxony since 1547. The castle is famous for all the varying architectural styles found within, from Neo-renaissance to Baroque. The term “Romanesque”, a form of architecture that dates back to the 11th and 12th century Medieval Europe, is reserved exclusively for Dresden Castle.

El Escorial is the historical residence of the King of Spain. It is one of the Spanish royal sites and functions as a monastery, royal palace, museum, and school. Philip II of Spain engaged the Spanish architect, Juan Bautista de Toledo, as his collaborator in the design of El Escorial. Philip’s orders to Toledo were straightforward and clear, directing the architects to create “simplicity in the construction, severity in the whole, nobility without arrogance, majesty without ostentation”. Together they designed El Escorial as a monument to Spain’s role as a center of the Christian world.  On November 2, 1984 The Royal Site of San Lorenzo of El Escorial was declared a World Heritage Site.

Falkland Palace, now part of the National Trust for Scotland, was once the royal palace of the Scottish Kings. Falkland is one of the finest Renaissance style palaces in Scotland.   The courtyard façades were decorated and unified with pilasters in a French renaissance style between 1537 and 1542. Their appearance is akin to the French Chateau of Villers-Cotterêts. The ramparts on the East side are dated back to 1537, and on the South, where the masonry is more sophisticated, 1539.

Golestān Palace is the former royal Qajar complex in Iran’s capital city, the official residence of the Qajar dynasty (1794-1925). Golestān Palace is the oldest historic monument in Tehran. In its present state, Golestan Palace is the result of roughly 400 years construction and renovations. The buildings at the contemporary location each have a unique historical style.

Six more castles coming…

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