The royal homes in Gloucestershire

Highgrove, Nether Lypiatt and Gatcombe Park are set only a few miles apart on the south-western edge of the Cotswolds, and in recent times have firmly established Gloucestershire's links with royalty. Yet royal links with the county can be traced back to Saxon times.

William I kept Christmas at Gloucester and held his Parliament there, the Forest of Dean was of course a renowned royal hunting ground, while in modern times Queen Mary stayed at Badminton between the two world wars and the Duke of Windsor frequented Tetbury during the 1920s and '30s.

This book, first published in 1981 and now extensively updated, traces the history and ownership of the three present-day royal homes - Highgrove, home of The Prince and Princess of Wales, Nether Lypiatt, home of Prince and Princess Michael of Kent, and Gatcombe Park, home of The Princess Royal.

It includes architectural details and describes the changes that have been made to the properties over the years, as well as looking back on the Gloucestershire worthies, ghosts and distinguished visitors who haunted these relatively modest houses until comparatively recently.

The text is complemented by old engravings, historical and architectural illustrations, and new specially commissioned colour photographs by Gloucestershire photographer Paul Felix. This new edition also includes a foreword by Rosemary Verey, who also provides fresh information on the gardens of these royal Gloucestershire homes.