Reign Over Your Own Castle for a Day

May 6 will see the coronation of King Charles III and Queen Consort, Camilla, with images of regal lifestyle projected across the world. But did you know that you too can become king or queen for a day, if you head to Langley Castle in Northumberland, in the north of the UK.

Langley Castle is not just another castle hotel, but England’s most authentic, where visitors immediately feel they are in a fairy-tale setting, the moment they arrive and see the battlements, seven-feet-thick walls and fortifications. However, some can go further than just staying, hiring the entire castle solely for the use of themselves and their family and friends.

This is not just an option for weddings but for parties – birthdays, anniversaries, get-togethers with family who have been strewn all over the world for too long – and for corporate gatherings too. Langley Castle has hosted everything from Bar Mitzvahs for American families to Dungeons & Dragons events for fans from across the world.

Being king or queen of the castle means having staff at your beck and call but not hovering over you all the time. You may decide to just use the 9 luxurious rooms inside the castle, with their four-poster beds, raised window seats set into the huge walls and surprising features including sauna and spa bath. Alternatively, you could invite more people and take over rooms in the converted stable block, Castle View.

The chandelier-lit Drawing Room, with its knights in shining armour, huge feature window and roaring log fire, will be yours and yours alone and you can set your own menu in the 2AA-Rosette Josephine Restaurant. Langley Castle can arrange entertainment, from musicians to Murder Mystery specialists, and outdoor activities can also be planned. You could be laying down the rules for clay pigeon shooting, bestowing drinks on your ‘subjects’ in the Langley tipi, or clapping your hands to signal the start of a fireworks display, before you know it.

Whilst indoors in the Drawing Room, you and your loved one can reside over everything from a very special ‘perch’ - two fabulous throne chairs, conveying that true kingly and queenly feel, whether you dress up to really look the part, or just go with it because it’s fun.

Whole castle hire at Langley Castle is available from a cost of £12,500, which includes being able to host 50 adult guests during the day and evening. Included, on a double-occupancy basis are 24 guest rooms and guests taking those rooms can enjoy a hearty Northumberland breakfast. A Prosecco reception drink is also available and some food can also be included, according to whether the hire is for a wedding or another occasion.

Should you wish to do so, you can charge back the cost of rooms to your guests, leaving you with a much smaller outlay for your entrée into regal living as king or queen of your own castle.

If whole castle hire is still not an option, share your rule over Langley Castle with others and simply stay, taking an individual room as a guest, from a cost from just £375 per room, dinner bed and breakfast, in Castle View accommodation in the grounds, or from £455 per room, dinner bed and breakfast, in a Castle room inside the castle.

There are plenty of royal connections to the castle, including the fact it was once owned by the cousins to the Jacobite Pretenders to the throne – The Old Pretender and Bonnie Prince Charlie. There is even a commemorative bench to them in the gardens and the only Jacobite memorial in England can be found just down the road leading to the castle.

Head to www.langleycastle.co.uk to see your prospective royal residence or book a room, and call 01434 688888 with your exclusive-use enquiry, if you fancy playing Charles and Camilla for a day (or longer). The memories your ‘reign’ will create, will be with you for a lifetime.

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Editors notes

Langley Castle, built in 1350, is located in Langley-on-Tyne, Northumberland and is one of the few authentic, fortified medieval castles in England. It has a rich history, with strong links to Jacobite rebellions, is located just a stone's throw from the World Heritage Site of Hadrian's Wall and boasts features including battlements, seven-feet-thick walls, window seats set into the walls and the best example of medieval garderobes in Europe. It is one of the most exquisite wedding venues in the north and also offers a wide range of options when it comes to exclusive use, with the castle being available for weddings, family celebrations, Bar Mitzvahs and Bat Mitzvahs, D&D-style events and a wide variety of corporate functions.