King Charles is to transform one of the British royal family’s sprawling properties into a luxury wedding venue.
The monarch spent £6.5 million ($A13 million) on the project, which will see the 300-year-old property expanded to accommodate a host of luxury events. Broker reports.
Charles, 77, revealed his plans for the future of Dumfries House, a stately home in East Ayrshire, Scotland, in a statement released through The King’s Foundation, a charity he founded in 1990.
While members of the royal family traditionally host their weddings in and around London – where Prince William and Princess Kate, and Prince Harry and Meghan Markle all tied the knot – the new event space will offer other brides and grooms the opportunity to host their own version of a royal wedding.
The transformation of the historic home will include the addition of a single-storey extension to the east wing of the existing building, which will be called the King’s Hall and will accommodate up to 200 people.
Spanning over 4,600 square feet, it will open in the summer of 2027 – just in time for that year’s wedding season.
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King Charles is to transform one of the British royal family’s sprawling properties into a luxury wedding venue. Photo: Getty Images
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The monarch spent £6.5 million on the project, which will see the 300-year-old property expanded to accommodate a host of luxury events. Photo: Getty Images
As well as hosting weddings, the space will also be used as a venue for community and educational events organized in partnership with The King’s Foundation.
“The King’s Hall will deliver the intimacy, atmosphere and historic grandeur that guests have come to associate with events and special occasions at Dumfries House,” said Evan Samson, Managing Director of Dumfries House for The King’s Foundation.
“Our ambition is for De Koningszaal to become the location for high-end, luxury weddings and private events for a national and international market.
“The space will offer guests the opportunity to access the historic house, with the added benefit that the revenue will create jobs for the local community and opportunities for thousands of people every year through The King’s Foundation’s education programs.”
A rendering of the space at Dumfries House reveals a light and airy venue that can accommodate up to 200 people. Photo: The King’s Foundation
According to The King’s Foundation, the space will host up to six events per week, with on-site catering available with a range of organic and locally sourced produce.
A rendering of The King’s Hall reveals a light and airy room filled with elegant crystal chandeliers, as well as a ceiling made almost entirely of glass to fill the space with sunlight.
Artwork adorns the walls, while chic wooden floors can be seen beneath the round dining tables that fill the space.
Dumfries House is one of many properties in the royal family’s impressive portfolio, which includes estates across the UK, many of which now serve as tourist attractions.
Only a handful are actually used as private homes by the royal family.
Charles and his wife, Queen Camilla, live mainly at Clarence House, which is next to St. James’ Palace in London and has been the king’s main residence since 2003.
News of the king’s plans for the historic estate, which was designed in 1754 and completed in 1759, comes at a time of turmoil for the family’s property portfolio, which has seen several members move into new homes in recent months.
Prince William and Princess Kate recently moved into Forest Lodge in Windsor Great Park, along with their three children, Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis.
The news comes in the wake of a number of high-profile royal moves, with Prince William and Princess Kate recently moving into a new home. Photo: Max Mumby/Indigo/Getty Images
William and Kate have moved into their new forever home, a property known as Forest Lodge in the grounds of Windsor Great Park. Photo: Heritage Images/Getty Images
The eight-bedroom property is not far from their former residence, Adelaide Cottage, and is said to have undergone significant renovations – privately funded by the couple – before the family moved in.
When news of the move was first revealed, sources told the BBC that the royal couple hoped the move would give them the chance to start “a new chapter” after battling Princess Kate’s cancer diagnosis and treatment.
“Windsor has become their home. But in recent years living at Adelaide Cottage there have been some very difficult times,” said an insider.
“Moving gives them the chance for a fresh start and a new chapter. It’s a chance to leave some of the more unhappy memories behind.”
Meanwhile, the king’s brother, Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, was moved from his old home after being stripped of his royal titles. Photo: Max Mumby/Indigo/Getty Images
Andrew had lived rent-free at Royal Lodge for years. Photo: Getty Images
Kate announced that she had been diagnosed with an unspecified form of cancer in March 2024, revealing at the time that she was undergoing chemotherapy – although she declined to share other details about her illness.
She then announced in January this year that she was in remission, before opening up about the “really difficult” process of treatment and recovery.
“The treatment gives you a kind of brave face, stoicism,” she said at a July event at Colchester Hospital.
“The treatment is finished and it’s like I can move on, get back to normal,” but actually that phase afterwards is a very difficult time.
“You can no longer function normally at home as you may once have been used to.”
The Wales family is said to have moved into the property in time for the Christmas holidays.
Meanwhile, the king’s younger brother, Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, was moved from his old home at Royal Lodge to a much smaller house in the grounds of the royal family’s Sandringham estate after being stripped of his royal titles.
Parts of this story first appeared in Broker and was republished with permission.
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