The UK is currently bracing for the first heatwave of the year, with temperatures already beginning to soar.
Understandably, the heat makes many of us want to plunge into the nearest body of water accessible – but for those of us who can’t just rock up to the nearest river, lake, or beach, it’s a little more complicated.
While the British royal family also don’t have that luxury, many of them have got their own heatwave havens a little closer to home, in the form of private swimmings pools.
From an indoor pool at Buckingham Palace to a breathtaking outdoor pool in Montecito, find out all the details about the private royal swimming pools you probably didn’t even know existed, and will soon wish you had to yourself…
An outdoor swimming pool is one of many highlights at Prince Harry and Meghan‘s family home in Montecito, Santa Barbara. Previous listing photos taken before the family moved into the property in 2020 showed the pool lined with sun loungers, parasols and secluded by hedges.
It leads up to their home via a set of stone stairs and would be a great spot for Harry and Meghan to swim and splash about with their children Archie and Lilibet.
The monarch has a private indoor swimming pool at Buckingham Palace, which has long been a favourite spot for the entire royal family. It was originally commissioned by King George VI in 1938, who wanted to ensure the privacy of his daughters, Princess Elizabeth and Princess Margaret, who had been having swimming lessons at the Bath Club.
Sophie Winkleman, wife of Lord Frederick Windsor and star of noughties sitcom Peep Show, confirmed the Buckingham Palace pool was very much still in use when she told Tatler that the late Queen Elizabeth II insisted she use the pool to recover from a car accident injury.
After admitting to the late Queen her physiotherapy wasn’t working, the monarch replied: “We can’t have that. You have to go in the water.”
Sophie continued: “She told us that when horses had broken backs, they swam, and so she let me use her pool at Buckingham Palace. That’s the reason I got better. It was so typically thoughtful.”
Although the pool is often used by senior royals including Prince William and Kate, it can also be used by members of the Staff Sports Club, provided it doesn’t clash with one of the royals’ swims.
The Prince and Princess of Wales reportedly have a swimming pool at their country retreat, Anmer Hall on the Sandringham Estate. The facility is ideal for the family to swim with their three children – Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis – when they visit at weekends and in the holidays.
They are also reportedly frequent visitors to the swimming pool at Buckingham Palace when they are in London, and it is where the children had swimming lessons when they were younger.
