Princess Anne has lived at Gatcombe Park since the 1970s and fans have only been treated to a few glimpses of her countryside home.
We’re used to seeing members of the Royal Family gather on the Buckingham Palace balcony at Trooping the Colour and sharing the occasional special photo taken at residences like Clarence House and Kensington Palace. However, many royals don’t live in London full-time and Princess Anne is one of them. The Princess Royal is understood to use apartments at St James’s Palace when she’s in the capital but she’s made her home in the beautiful British countryside. When she’s not out and about undertaking her busy schedule of engagements she lives in relative privacy on a royal estate with her husband Vice Admiral Sir Timothy Laurence.
It was whilst walking in the grounds of her beautiful estate that she sustained “minor injuries” on 23rd June. Princess Anne was admitted to hospital and the Palace confirmed that she is in Southmead Hospital as a “precautionary measure for observation” and is expected to make a full and swift recovery. The King is being kept “closely informed” about his sister’s health and the recent news might well have got more fans wondering more about Princess Anne’s home in Gloucestershire.
Where does Princess Anne live?
Princess Anne lives at the Gatcombe Park estate in Gloucestershire, which is only around six miles away from King Charles’s beloved countryside residence, Highgrove House. It was reportedly bought by the late Queen Elizabeth in 1976 for her and her then-husband Captain Mark Phillips to live at. They raised their two children, Zara Tindall and Peter Phillips, at Gatcombe together until they went on to divorce in 1992. It has continued to be the Princess Royal’s primary home since then and she’s understood to live in the main building on the estate.
According to Historic England, the Gatcombe Park Estate features a principle building which is made of ashlar limestone and has a stone slate roof, as well as a balustraded parapet. This main block is two storeys high with an attic and has single-storey wings, a conservatory and a summerhouse. This was built between 1771-1774 by Francis Franklin of Chalford for Edward Sheppard and in the 19th century George Basevi was employed by David Ricardo to remodel the house. It was Basevi who is said to have added the conservatory and wings, as well as the stables and Grade II listed coach house near the house.
On the south side of the house a terrace reportedly runs for around 200 metres in the gardens and pleasure grounds. If that wasn’t enough greenery for Princess Anne and Sir Timothy to enjoy, their Gatcombe Park home is also surrounded on most sides by parkland with belts of trees, a small stream and two small lakes. Rising up into the sky south of Gatcombe Park is a tall monument made from dry-built rubble limestone.
The later Gatcombe Park estate was formed by the Manors of Minchinhampton and Avening which were sold by the Windsor family to Philip Sheppard in 1656. Edward Sheppard eventually inherited the estate and had Gatcombe Park built a mile further south of the old Minchinhampton Manor House. In 1814 the manor of Hampton, including Gatcombe Park, was sold to David Ricardo and since the changes he commissioned were made, not much else has been altered at Gatcombe Park since the 1820s.
The estate was sold to Samuel Courtauld in 1937 and his son-in-law RA Butler inherited it. It was apparently let out during the 1950s before Queen Elizabeth bought the estate. As Gatcombe Park is a private estate it’s no surprise that Princess Anne can enjoy being out of the royal spotlight there and there are only a few pictures of her home publicly available to see.
Who else lives at Gatcombe Park?
Princess Anne and Sir Timothy Laurence aren’t the only royals who live at Gatcombe Park as Zara Tindall and her husband Mike also live on a property on the estate with their three children, Mia, Lena and Lucas Tindall. As per Vogue Australia, the Tindall family live at Aston Farm on the Gatcombe Park estate which is a renovated seven-bedroom farmhouse.
At the centre of the farm is reportedly a converted barn that has been dubbed the “party barn” which has a bar, catering facilities, a giant screen and lounges which make for the perfect entertaining space for when friends come over.
The Princess Royal’s son Peter also reportedly still lives on the estate after he and his former wife Autumn Kelly divorced in 2021. At the time it was confirmed that they would both be staying in Gloucestershire as they continue to co-parent their daughters Savannah and Isla Phillips.
Is Gatcombe Park open to the public?
Just like the Prince and Princess of Wales’s Adelaide Cottage home, Gatcombe Park isn’t open to visitors. It’s a private estate and the only time the public has been allowed to access it has been during the Festival of British Eventing which is held there. Princess Anne’s son Peter Phillips is the Event Director and it was unfortunately confirmed in March that this summer’s event wouldn’t be going ahead due to the “economic climate”.
“Despite great determination from the organising team, the current economic climate has made it unviable for the event to go ahead,” a statement explained. “Following the adverse weather experienced at Gatcombe last year, which led to the abandonment of the event, and due to the ever-increasing costs associated with operating on a green field site, it has made the event unfeasible to run.
Peter Phillips added, “The event has also been a huge part of my family’s lives and those of many others for 40 years. It has built up a large community that has enjoyed and celebrated The Festival each year.”
Each summer Princess Anne traditionally takes a short break from her extensive royal duties and one of the only times she’s seen in public during this time has been at the festival. It’s not known whether the Festival of British Eventing might return at some point, though it seems that the history of the event at Gatcombe Park is something that means a lot to Princess Anne’s family.
