George III. The palace first originated as Buckingham House, which was built by John Sheffield, 3rd Earl of Mulgrave and Marquess of Normanby, as his London residence between 1702–5. Sheffield was made the Duke of Buckingham in 1703 and he consequently named the house after his title. In 1762 George III decided to purchase Buckingham House for his wife, Queen Charlotte, in order to create a comfortable family home near to St James’s Palace. As a result, 14 of George and Charlotte’s 15 children were born at the house.

Blenheim Palace. It was built in the early 18th century to celebrate the victory over the French in the War of the Spanish Succession (1701–14), a conflict between European powers – including a divided Spain – over who had the right to succeed Charles II as king of the country. The palace was a gift to John Churchill, the first Duke of Marlborough, the military commander who led the Allied forces in the battle of Blenheim on 13 August 1704.

Stirling Castle is one of Scotland's most historically important castles. Sitting atop the volcanic crag of Castle Hill, surrounded by steep cliffs, Stirling Castle has been attacked or besieged at least 16 times and several murders have taken place within its walls, including that of William, 8th Earl of Douglas, who in February 1452 was stabbed to death at the command of James II of Scotland.

Wallingford Castle. The site, a stronghold of Matilda’s supporters, was a thorn in Stephen’s side throughout the protracted war. He even built his own ‘siege castles’ around it to cut off access. But Wallingford never fell. The castle would eventually see a tentative peace treaty signed nearby, as the near-15-year period of violence came to an end. 

Katherine Parr. Sudeley Castle is the only private residence in England which has a former queen buried in its grounds. After her death in 1548, Parr was buried in St Mary’s Chapel in the castle grounds. Her fine marble tomb is still visible in the chapel, and is particularly poignant for its quiet, secluded location.

Construction began on Burghley House during the 1550s. Sir William Cecil, who went on to become Elizabeth I’s secretary of state and one of her closest confidants. The house was originally built in an ‘E’ shape, to reflect Cecil’s loyalty to the queen. However, in the 18th century, Brownlow Cecil, the 9th Earl of Exeter ordered that the north-west wing be demolished, and therefore the original shape of the house was lost.

Caerphilly castle. At the time of its construction Caerphilly was the greatest building of its kind in Britain and Ireland. Its concentric design predated by several years the similar scheme that was used by Edward I at the Tower of London, and mirrored his castles in North Wales that were so vital in the 13th century conquest.

Queen Victoria died at her residence on the Isle of Wight. “It is impossible to imagine a prettier spot,” Queen Victoria once said of Osborne, the palatial family home where she and Prince Albert chose to periodically retreat from the public eye to spend quality time together and raise their children. It was a favoured spot of the royal couple up until Albert’s death in 1861, and remained the queen’s haven until the 20th century.

Pembroke. Henry was born in Pembroke Castle on 28 January 1457, son of Margaret Beaufort, an English heiress of royal descent, and Edmund Tudor, a half-Welsh, half-French earl. He later came to the throne as Henry VII.