We might picture them sipping tea in Buckingham Palace, but the British royal family often spend their downtime travelling the globe.

Though known for a shroud of (well-deserved) privacy surrounding their personal trips, once in a while, we catch a glimpse of a royal on the go. From Botswana to the Caribbean, these are the royal family's favourite places to vacation.

1. Klosters, Switzerland

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This alpine resort-village in the Swiss mountains has long been a favourite destination of the royal family. King Charles and Diana regularly took their sons on ski trips to the town, with a skiing cable car even named after the Prince of Wales. Klosters is also where Prince William famously shared his first public kiss with Kate, Princess of Wales.
 

2. Mallorca, Spain

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In 1987, King Charles, Diana, and their children visited Marivent Palace in Mallorca. Diana enjoyed the island so much that she returned the following year.
 

3. Isles of Scilly

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Prince William and Princess Kate are known to frequent the Isles of Scilly, an archipelago off the coast of Cornwall, during the summer with their children. The royal couple even surprised fellow tourists by biking around the isle of Tresco back in 2020.
 

4. Botswana

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Botswana holds a special place in Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s relationship. In their engagement interview in 2017, Harry explained how he invited Markle to visit him in the African country for their third date.

“I managed to persuade her to come and join me in Botswana. We camped out with each other under the stars. She came and joined me for five days out there, which was absolutely fantastic,” he told the BBC.

5. Malta

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Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip spent their honeymoon in Malta, where he was stationed with the Royal Navy in 1947.
 

6. Scottish Highlands, Scotland

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Balmoral Castle in the Scottish Highlands is known as the royal family’s favourite vacation spot. Queen Elizabeth spent every August on the estate, with King Charles recently following in her footsteps.
 

7. Saint-Tropez, France

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This seaside destination in the south of France is a favourite of generations of royals. Most recently, Princess Beatrice and her husband were spotted in the region in 2023.

Princess Diana also famously spent time on Mohamed Al Fayed’s yacht in 1997, where she reportedly confronted paparazzi for hounding her and her children.
 

8. Norfolk, England

Photo courtesy of Sandringham Estate

The royals are known to retire to Sandringham Estate in Norfolk, England, for Christmas and New Years. 

9. Corfu, Greece

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Prince Charles and Camilla have been visiting the Greek island of Corfu for decades. Fun fact: Corfu is where the king's father, Prince Philip, was born more than 100 years ago. 

10. Nevis

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Like many other royals, Princess Diana loved the island sun. She first visited Montpelier Plantation Estate on the Caribbean island of Nevis with her sons in 1992, and returned the following year.

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