King Charles is set to transform one of the British royal family‘s sprawling properties into a high-end wedding venue—splashing out $8.7 million on the project, which will see the 300-year-old property expanded to accommodate a host of luxury events.
Charles, 77, unveiled his plans for the future of Dumfries House, a stately home in East Ayrshire, Scotland, in a statement issued via The King’s Foundation, a charity that he founded in 1990.
While the royal family members traditionally host their nuptials in and around London—where Prince William and Princess Kate, and Prince Harry and Meghan Markle all tied the knot—the new events space will offer other brides and grooms the opportunity to host their own version of a royal wedding.
The transformation of the historic dwelling will include the addition of a single-story extension to the east wing of the existing structure, which will be called The King’s Hall and will be capable of hosting up to 200 people.
It will span more than 4,600 square feet and is set to open in summer 2027—just in time for that year’s wedding season.
In addition to hosting weddings, the space will also be used as a venue for community and education events organized in collaboration with The King’s Foundation.
“The King’s Hall will offer the intimacy, atmosphere, and historic grandeur that guests have come to associate with events and special occasions at Dumfries House,” said Evan Samson, general manager of Dumfries House for The King’s Foundation.
“Our ambition is for The King’s Hall to become the go-to venue for high-end, luxury weddings and private events for a national and international market.
“The space will offer guests the opportunity to access the historic house, with the added benefit of revenue going to create employment for the local community and opportunities for thousands of people each year through The King’s Foundation’s education programs.”
According to The King’s Foundation, the space will be able to accommodate up to six events a week, with on-site catering available that features an array of organic and locally sourced produce.
A rendering of The King’s Hall reveals a light and airy room filled with elegant crystal chandeliers, as well as a ceiling made up almost entirely of glass to fill the space with sunshine.
Works of art cover the walls, while chic wood flooring can be seen under the round dinner tables that fill the space.
Dumfries house is one of several properties in the royal family’s impressive portfolio, which includes estates across the U.K., many of which now serve as tourist attractions. Only a handful are actually used as private residences by the royals.
Charles and his wife, Queen Camilla, reside primarily in Clarence House, which is located next to St. James’ Palace in London and has served as the king’s main residence since 2003.
The news of the king’s plans for the historic estate, which was conceived in 1754 and completed in 1759, comes amid a time of upheaval for the family’s property portfolio, which has seen several members moving to new dwellings in recent months.
Prince William and Princess Kate recently relocated to Forest Lodge in Windsor Great Park, along with their three children, Prince George, Princess Charlotte, and Prince Louis.
Located not far from their former abode, Adelaide Cottage, the eight-bedroom property is understood to have undergone significant renovations—funded privately by the couple—before the family moved in.
When news of the move was first revealed, sources told the BBC that the royal couple hoped the move would give them a chance to start “a new chapter” after battling through Princess Kate’s cancer diagnosis and treatment.
“Windsor has become their home. However, over the last few years while they have lived at Adelaide Cottage there have been some really difficult times,” an insider said.
!['Royal Lodge, Windsor: The Country Home of the Royal Family', 1937. A Grade II listed house in Windsor Great Park in Berkshire, England, known as the Royal Lodge since the late 1820s. From "George VI, King and Emperor", by Major J. T. Gorman [W. & G. Foyle Ltd., London, 1937]. (Colorised black and white print). Creator: Unknown. (Photo by The Print Collector/Heritage Images via Getty Images)](https://na.rdcpix.com/2c29eaffabf8b67878a4e2d24cb75c5bw-c3407312881srd_q80.jpg)
“Moving gives them an opportunity for a fresh start and a new chapter. It’s an opportunity to leave some of the more unhappy memories behind.”
Kate announced that she had been diagnosed with an unspecified cancer in March 2024, revealing at the time that she was undergoing chemotherapy—although she declined to share any other details about her illness.
In January of this year, she then announced that she was in remission, before opening up about the “really difficult” process of going through treatment and recovery.
“You put on a sort of brave face, stoicism, through treatment,” she said during a July event at Colchester Hospital. “Treatment’s done, and it’s like, ‘I can crack on, get back to normal again,’ but actually that phase afterwards is a really difficult time.
“You’re not able to function normally at home as you were perhaps once used to.”
The Wales family is understood to have moved into the property in time for the Christmas holiday.
Meanwhile the king’s younger brother, Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, was moved out of his longtime home at Royal Lodge and into a much smaller home located on the grounds of the royal family’s estate at Sandringham after he was stripped of his royal titles.
