The Royal Palace dates back to the XVIII century. It sits on the site of the old Alcázar of Madrid, a medieval fortress converted into a palace which Philip II made the official residence of the kings of Spain in 1561. The Alcazar, decorated with great works of art from the Spanish golden age, was destroyed by a fire on Christmas Eve 1734. Legend has it that members of the court of Philip V, of French origin, started the fire in order to build a French or Versailles-style palace. But it’s just that, a legend. The first stone was laid in 1738 and the construction was not completed until 1751, although the sculptural decoration of the surroundings continued until 1759 as well as the “exterior works”, always under the direction of Sacchetti, who scrupulously supervised the entire project from start to finish. However, the culmination of his project was altered by Francisco Sabatini, architect of Charles III, the first monarch to live in the Royal Palace where he settled in 1764.

It will all depend on the type of experience chosen. For instance, a self-guided visit costs 14€/person + website fees. if you combine the Royal Palace tickets with the Royal Collections, you will get a promo for 24€/person + fees. If you have a valid EU Passport, then there is free entry from 4.00pm to 6.00pm during winter time, and 5.00pm to 7.00pm in summer season.

Despite the fact that this is a very biased question, Royal Palace of Madrid tours shall mandatorily last between 90 minutes and 120 minutes. If you’re visiting it on your own, you can stay there as much as you wish, according to your level of interest.

It is a ceremonial and state functional building. Differently to what you’ll find on the internet, the Royal Palace is NOT the house of the current Spanish king and queen.

The Spanish Royal family (Felipe, Leticia, Leonor & Sofia) lives at the Palacio de la Zarzuela, located on the outskirts of Madrid. It serves as their official residence for private life, while the Royal Palace is used for official events.