Can you guess the Royal Family’s favourite summer holiday destinations?

Whether it’s speaking German at a Berlin banquet, wearing grass skirts in the Pacific or traying out traditional Caribbean dance moves, Royal tours are rarely short of variety. 

Perhaps it is understandable, then, that when it comes to their own holiday destinations, the Royal Family favours predictability, returning to the same places year after year .

The late Queen would famously escape to the Scottish Highlands for her summer break to spend time with her family, dogs and horses.

The quiet island of Tresco in the Scillies is another royal favourite. Prince William, who visited as a child, now takes his own family there.

Here, then, from trips to the seaside to wildlife-filled safaris,  are some of the destinations where you might catch a glimpse royalty at play. 

Balmoral

The 50,000-acre Balmoral estate in Aberdeenshire was purchased by Queen Victoria and Prince Albert in 1852 and it has served as a getaway for the Royal Family ever since.

Balmoral was purchased by Queen Victoria and Prince Albert in 1852.  Victoria is pictured at Balmoral with daughter, Princess Louise, and her attendant John Brown

 Queen Elizabeth is pictured with Prince Philip and their young children, Princess Anne and Prince Charles, outside Balmoral in 1952

The family at Balmoral in 1955, where Princess Anne is playing with the Queen’s corgi, Sugar. The Duke of Edinburgh’s dog Candy looks up at the Queen as they walk in the grounds

A number of royal couples have spent their honeymoon on the estate, including Charles and Diana – pictured next to the River Dee on their honeymoon in 1981

In the 2016 documentary, Our Queen at Ninety, Princess Eugenie said of Balmoral: ‘It’s the most beautiful place on earth. I think Granny is most happy there. I think she really, really loves the Highlands.’

She added: ‘Walks, picnics, dogs – a lot of dogs, there’s always dogs – and people coming in and out all the time.

‘It’s a lovely base for Granny and Grandpa, for us to come and see them up there, where you just have room to breathe and run.’

Many new royal couples have opted to stay at the castle for their honeymoon. Prince Charles and Diana featured in romantic snaps by the River Dee after their wedding in 1981.

Charles also chose for a trip to Scotland after marrying Queen Camilla, with the couple staying at their beloved hideaway Birkhall, situated on the estate.

In past years, Charles was often seen spotted there with his two sons, William and Harry, sometimes donning a tartan kilt and teaching them how to fly-fish. 

More recently, Prince William has taken his own family to Balmoral, even visiting in the summer before the Queen’s death last year.

Kerasia, Corfu, Greece

The new King and Queen like the blue waters and warm sunshine of Corfu for their summer getaway.

The destination is particularly special to the King whose father, Prince Philip, was born on the island.

King Charles and Queen Camilla are known to stay at the luxury Rothschild Villa in Kerasia when they visit Corfu

With spectacular views over the Ionian sea and set among rows of olive groves, the villa makes the ideal secluded spot for the royal couple

Corfu is particularly special to the King because his father, Prince Philip, was born on the island

In 2017, Charles and Camilla were also spotted onboard OKTO, the superyacht owned by the Greek shipping magnate Theodore Angelopoulos and his wife Gianna

Camilla wore a flowing white dress while Charles preferred a smart shirt and white shorts onboard the superyacht

He once said: ‘Greece is in my blood and I have a long fascination for her ancient culture and history.’

The rich and powerful have consistently flocked to the area, with visitors including David Cameron and Rupert Murdoch.

Whenever Charles and Camilla visit the island, they are known to stay at the luxury Rothschild Villa in Kerasia.

With spectacular views over the Ionian sea and set among rows of olive groves, it makes the ideal secluded spot for the royal couple.

The villa, which has since been dubbed the ‘Kensington Summer Palace’, was also a favourite of Princess Diana.

In 2017, Charles and Camilla were also spotted onboard OKTO, the superyacht owned by the Greek shipping magnate Theodore Angelopoulos and his wife Gianna, which was moored in a Corfu harbour. 

Tresco, Isles of Scilly

Nicknamed the Cornish Caribbean, the Isles of Scilly, 28 miles off the Cornish coastline, boast some of the UK’s most beautiful beaches.

The island of Tresco is the most famous of the islands, where the blue of the sea is always in sight and children can be seen crabbing on its idyllic beaches.

Part of the Duchy of Cornwall, the island has long had the Royal seal of approval.

Prince William holidayed in Tresco with his parents Prince Charles and Princess Diana, and his brother, Prince Harry, in 1989

He visited the island with Kate in 2016, with images showing the pair boarding a boat to St Martins after visiting the Tresco Abbey Garden

King Charles and Queen Camilla have visited the Scilly Isles on numerous occasions. They are pictured together on St Mary’s island in 2021

Prince William holidayed in Tresco with his parents Prince Charles and Princess Diana, and his brother, Prince Harry, in 1989 and the family were snapped heading for a bike ride.

He also visited the island with Kate in 2016, with images showing the pair boarding a boat to St Martins after visiting the Tresco Abbey Garden.

William has since taken his own family to the stunning staycation spot, staying at Dolphin House, where he had stayed decades earlier with his parents.

The property is just yards away from the sea, which would have allowed Kate and William to take their buckets and spades to the beach with George, Charlotte and Louis.

In 2020, the family went for a bike ride around the car-free island and were seen smiling and chatting to residents. 

They visited again the following year, put off travelling further afield by the coronavirus pandemic.

King Charles and Queen Camilla have frequented visited the Scilly Isles and Camilla celebrated her 71st birthday on the islands of St Mary’s and St Martin’s.

Botswana

The Southern African country holds special memories for Prince Harry, where he spent his third date with Meghan Markle.

In an interview with the BBC after their engagement in November 2017, Harry recalled how he ‘convinced’ Meghan to fly out to Botswana to join him on a trip – while revealing they spent a romantic five days camping out under the stars.

‘It was I think about three, maybe four weeks [after their first date] that I managed to persuade her to come and join me in Botswana,’ he said at the time.

‘And we, we camped out with each other under the stars, we spent, she came and joined me for five days out there, which was absolutely fantastic.’

To celebrate Meghan’s 36th birthday as well as their first year of being together, Harry surprised her with a trip to Botswana.

The Mail on Sunday reported that the Duke and Duchess of Sussex stayed at the exclusive Meno a Kwena tented bush camp and one of the first sights that greeted them was a herd of zebra appearing in front of their luxury tent.

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex shared a picture of the couple fixing a satellite collar to a bull elephant in Botswana on their Instagram account

Harry and Meghan have stayed at the exclusive Meno a Kwena tented bush camp in Botswana

Harry first visited Botswana when he was just 13, two months after his mother Diana died. He is pictured helping to plant a tree during a royal tour in 2019

In return, Meghan recreated their camping trip to Botswana where they first ‘fell in love’ in the garden at Frogmore Cottage for Harry’s 35th birthday.

‘It’s a place that means so much to them — and to Harry in particular — so Meghan wanted to bring that happy place to him on his day so she set up a tent, got sleeping bags, cooked dinner and recreated Botswana where they fell in love,’ a royal insider told People. 

Harry first visited Botswana when he was just 13, two months after his mother Diana died.

He has since described as his ‘second home’ and has been involved in conservation efforts in the country, having worked with the Rhino Conservation Botswana organisation.

• List of Royal destinations collated by Iglu Cruise