Where the Royals Vacation

This privately owned island hideaway made it to the map because of one resident alone: Princess Margaret, Queen Elizabeth’s sister. The land on which she built her villa was a wedding gift to her and her photographer husband, Antony Charles Robert Armstrong-Jones, a.k.a. Lord Snowdon. With Margaret’s royal presence in the Caribbean, aristocrats and international tastemakers such as Mick Jagger and Tommy Hilfiger followed, and soon the three-square-mile rock became a regal resort. The princess’s very own villa, Les Jolies Eaux, built by theatrical set designer Oliver Messel, is available for rent. (From $18,000 per week, low season; $28,000, high season.) —Sarah Rose

Though Greece has a strong democratic tradition, it is rich with tales of royal travel dating back to Homer. (The very first travel book ever written was in Greek.) Today, the islands of the Aegean and Ionian seas provide an aqua-blue backdrop for any majestic retreat. Spetses, summer home to the deposed Greek royal family, recently hosted the wedding of HRH Prince Nikolaos of Greece and Denmark. A who’s who of European royalty gathered for the festivities at the Poseidonion Grand. (Doubles from $311.) —Sarah Rose

In the princely state of Rajasthan, the city of Udaipur is the jewel in the crown. The opulent city of lakes and hills has been called the Venice of the East and is a favorite exotic destination for those who live royally in the West. Queen Elizabeth, the royal families of Denmark and Spain, and Mick Jagger have all visited recently. The Lake Palace, centered in Lake Pichola and accessible only by boat, is owned by the Maharana, the monarch of Udaipur, but run as a hotel—the very image of imperial indulgence. (Doubles from $825.) —Sarah Rose

With no moat to protect a prince, any security-minded monarch might choose to surround himself with man-eating lions, ferocious rhinoceroses, and hungry hippos. When Prince William popped the question to Kate Middleton, they were staying at Rutundu Lodge, on the slopes of Mount Kenya, accessible only by air, horseback, or a seven-mile hike. “I love the warm fires and candle lights,” wrote Kate in the guestbook. “Look forward to next time, soon I hope,” wrote Prince William. (Doubles from $350.) —Sarah Rose

This castle in the Scottish Highlands is where Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip spend every August, September, and early October. A countrywoman at heart, the queen loves the outdoor life of picnics, horseback riding, and driving around the 64,000-acre estate in her Ranger Rover (as shown in the film The Queen). It was also here in 1980 that Lady Diana Spencer was first spotted by photographers as Prince Charles’s new girlfriend. When the royal family is not in residence from April through July, the grounds, gardens, and parts of the castle are open to the public; winter tours are available from early October to early December. —Yvonne Yorke

On the ski slopes of the Alps is where you’ll find most of Europe’s royals every winter and spring. Prince Charles has been going to Klosters in the Parsenn ski area of Switzerland for 40 years (a cable car to the top of Gotschnagrat Mountain is even named the Prince of Wales), and stays at the five-star Hotel Walserhof. Also, Prince William and Kate Middleton were photographed kissing on the slopes at Klosters in 2008, and in 2009, William treated his future wife to a $60,000 weeklong ski holiday in a private chalet with butlers. (Doubles from $530.) —Yvonne Yorke

King Juan Carlos of Spain, Queen Sofia, and their family spend their summer holidays at Marivent Palace on the Balearic island of Majorca every year. The queen has been spotted on shopping expeditions in the main town of Palma de Majorca, and while taking her young grandchildren to the water park. The king, a yachting enthusiast, is often seen competing in the regattas in Palma. Michelle and Sasha Obama even had lunch with the Spanish royal family when they paid a visit to Majorca in August 2009. —Yvonne Yorke

This northeastern stretch of coast on the Italian island of Sardinia has been a favorite vacation spot of the rich and famous since Prince Karim Aga Khan IV developed it in 1962. Today, it’s filled with summer villas owned by Saudi princes. (This was also where Princess Diana spent her last summer holiday—forever captured in that iconic photograph of her perched on the diving board of the Al Fayed yacht.) Not staying on a mega-million-dollar yacht? Check into the area’s most exclusive hotel, Cala di Volpe, now part of the Starwood Luxury Collection. (Doubles from $725.) —Yvonne Yorke

Another popular Mediterranean hot spot for royals and jet-setters is St.-Tropez in the South of France. In fact, many of them sail here on their yachts before or after spending time in Sardinia. King Abdullah and Queen Rania of Jordan love to vacation in this glamorous seaside city; Rania was even seen dining among the palm trees with Naomi Campbell at Le Club 55, an exclusive club on Pampelonne Beach that’s attracted the tan and fabulous since 1955. —Yvonne Yorke

Crown Prince Frederik and his family spend their summer vacations in Skagen, Denmark’s northernmost town on the Jutland coast. Visitors are drawn to this tiny fishing port, with a population of just over 8,000, for its picturesque wild landscape of sand dunes, charming local houses painted yellow with red-tiled roofs, and a Nordic light that so enthralled painters that the town became an artists’ colony in the late 19th century. See their works in the Skagen Museum, and stay next door at the historic Brøndums hotel. —Yvonne Yorke