To celebrate the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee, the world’s most popular royal palaces have been revealed in a new study, and it’s the UK’s Buckingham Palace that takes the top spot.
Researchers at the renovation and building design specialist Roofing Megastore analyzed search data on Google and hashtag data on Instagram for hundreds of royal palaces around the world to discover which palaces people are most curious about, as well as which ones people want to visit and photograph the most.
By combining the annual Google search volume for each palace over the past year, with the total number of Instagram hashtags, the researchers created an overall popularity score and then ranked the palaces to reveal the 50 most famous palaces in the world.
Four UK palaces feature in the top 10; Buckingham Palace takes the top spot as the world’s most popular royal palace, followed by Windsor Castle in second place, Kensington Palace in third and Hampton Court Palace in seventh. Other palaces in the top 10 include the Palace of Versailles in France, Mysore Palace in India and Prague Castle in the Czech Republic.
In the second half of the top 20, another two UK palaces feature; Eltham Palace in 17th position and Holyrood Palace in 19th place. After Mysorfe Palace in fifth place, three more Indian palaces make the top 20 list; Umaid Bhawan Palace in 13th place, Falaknuma Palace in 14th position and Chowmahalla Palace takes 16th. France, Hungary, Italy, Romania and Portugal also feature in the top 20 ranking.
Here is a look at the top 10 most popular palaces in the world
1. Buckingham Palace, UK
Perhaps one of the most classically royal color schemes, Buckingham Palace’s Grand Ballroom is a celebration of deep reds and vibrant golds. It’s the largest of the state rooms at Buckingham Palace, and today, the impressive room is used for official functions including state banquets. The ivory walls offset the bold colors, and the opulent orangery gold colors can be seen in a variety of shades. Alongside the luxurious rich hues, there’s also just a nudge of a beautiful muted grey-blue in the incredible painting hanging centrally on the main wall which contrasts beautifully with the commanding red tones.
2. Windsor Castle, UK
Inside the extravagant Green Drawing Room at Windsor Castle, there’s an explosion of glorious gold, complemented by a variety of sumptuous green tones – from a bright emerald green on the chairs to a dark racing green on the walls. Famously, this exquisite room was the backdrop for Archie Harrison Mountbatten-Windsor’s christening photos and the décor is the mastermind of George IV who apparently took a personal interest in the decoration of the castle’s rooms.
3. Kensington Palace, UK
Kensington Palace was famously home to Princess Diana, and now Prince William and Kate live there, and have reportedly spent £12 million on refurbishing their apartment in the palace. Inside the Cupola Room in Kensington Palace, we’re treated to a more subtle palette with delicate blue-greys from the marble that punctuates the room, alongside a smattering of proud gold accents – with different shades seen on the statues, the chandeliers and the ceiling.
4. The Palace of Versailles, France
Infamous for opulence, the Palace of Versailles is famed for its explosive extravagance, and The Hall Of Mirrors is no exception. When it comes to the specific color scheme here though, it’s actually one of understated, muted and complimentary tones – from the beautiful golds to the dark and stormy greys in the ceiling, and the mauve accents in the marble on the walls. This unapologetically grand room was supposedly designed to communicate the power of Louis XIV and it’s hosted a number of historic events, from the proclamation of the German empire to the signing of the Treaty of Versailles.
5. Mysore Palace, India
Mysore Palace spreads across 72 acres and the current structure was designed by Henry Irwin in 1912. The palace is India’s second more visited tourist attraction after the Taj Mahal, with more than 8 million people visiting the palace every year. The color scheme of the private durbar hall inside the palace is a vibrant celebration of color, with golds, bright turquoises and deep pinks taking center stage and singing together in bold harmony. The room is crowned with a ceiling of colored glass which ensures the room and the bright colors within are always illuminated.
6. Forbidden City, China
In China, red is a popular color – it symbolizes luck, joy and happiness and it is also believed to ward off evil. It’s also abundantly present inside the Hall Of Preserving Harmony in the Forbidden City alongside contrasting gold and sky-blue accents. Central to Chinese power for five centuries, the Forbidden City and its iconic color palette are a UNESCO World Heritage Site, with the architecture adhering to the Chinese geometric practice of feng shui.
7. Hampton Court Palace, UK
Hampton Court Palace was famously the Baroque Georgian home to King Henry VIII and all of his six wives (not at the same time of course). The King’s Staircase is a grand entrance to the King’s state apartment and the frenzied walls were painted by William Kent. The colors are a celebration of burnt oranges and rich blues – from lighter grey-blue tones to stormy muted blues. The staircase is an absolute masterpiece of interior design.
8. Prague Castle, Czech Republic
One of the most understated and neutral color palettes of the series, Prague Castle is a celebration of natural tones – the stone blocks provide a patchwork of different muted colors – from the darker greys in the pillars to the eucalyptus grey greens further down the St Vitus Cathedral. It’s a beautiful color scheme that wouldn’t look out of place in any living room or kitchen too.
9. Palazzo Pitti, Italy
The Jupiter Room in the Palatine Gallery at Palazzo Pitti boasts an unrivaled collection of invaluable works of art, and it’s their lavish frames that set the stage for the palace’s color scheme – yellowy golds and red-orange walls, punctuated by the blacks, blues and greys in the paintings. The enormous palace is one of Florence’s largest architectural monuments, originally built in 1458 and most of the current internal decoration was designed in the 17th century.
Dublin Castle, Ireland
Rounding off the top 10 list of the world’s most famous royal palaces is Ireland’s, Dublin Castle. Here we see a palette of emerald greens and regal reds complimented by dark orangey gold in the frames of the paintings on the wall. Alongside the pale colors from the ivory walls and marble pillars, the room’s dominant color is green – with a light sage tone on the ceiling and a bright and bold carpet with multiple shades of green on the floor. This could be a tricky color scheme to pull off in a traditional home, but in a royal palace, it commands elegance.
