King Charles to host weddings at his new £6.5million venue

King Charles is moving into the lucrative weddings market with a new £6.5 million venue at his charity headquarters.

The entertainment space at Dumfries House in Ayrshire, Scotland, will cater for 200 guests and see users charged upwards of £5,500 for midweek weddings, rising to £8,500 for weekends – plus catering – for exclusive use.

It will even be named in the monarch’s honour, The King’s Hall, offering a very royal experience for newly-weds.

Dumfries House is a 300-year-old historic country home, boasting an unrivalled collection of Chippendale furniture, saved for the nation by Charles when he was Prince of Wales.

It has since become the headquarters of his charitable arm, The King’s Foundation, which works to provide sustainable communities through better building and educational schemes.

The money raised from the weddings business will be ploughed back into the upkeep of Dumfries House, which is open to the public, and the foundation’s work.

The ambitious project, which will see the first weddings held in July 2027, is being developed because of what is described as ‘increasing demand for five-star events’ and to bring more employment and education opportunities to the area.

It will see a single-storey, 430m sq extension built ‘seamlessly’ onto the historic Robert Adam-designed house, replacing a marquee that had been previously used for weddings and receptions.

‘Upon completion of this sympathetic new extension, we can say that Dumfries House has been built by three major influences in British architectural history – Adam in the 18th Century, Weir-Schultz in the 19th Century, and King Charles III during his reign,’ said Gordon Neil, executive director of The King’s Foundation, based at Dumfries House. 

‘That’s such an exciting chapter in the journey of Dumfries House and will only enhance our fascinating history.’

Dumfries House was built between 1754 and 1759 for William Dalrymple, 5th Earl of Dumfries, with Robert Adam the lead architect. It was extended through east and west wing extensions in 1890 by Robert Weir-Schultz.

The King’s Hall – as with any present-day conservation of, or addition to, Dumfries House – is inspired by the ‘vision’ of His Majesty The King.

Local materials have been used, including stone from a nearby quarry, and the same building techniques first employed 300 years ago.

‘The King’s Hall will be a true testament to the impact of His Majesty on Dumfries House and the vital education and employment it provides,’ Neil added.

Delivery within the new venue, which will allow The King’s Foundation to host five or six large-scale events each week compared to the current average of one or two due to space restrictions, will highlight the charity’s principles of harmony and sustainability.

Newly-installed heat pumps and biomass boilers will provide heating for the hall and main house respectively, and organic food and locally-sourced produce will make up the menu.

Evan Samson, General Manager of Dumfries House for The King’s Foundation, added: ‘Our ambition is for The King’s Hall to become the go-to venue for high-end luxury weddings and private event 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 programmes.’

Dumfries House will offer tastings of their 2026 menu at free-to-attend sessions on January 24 and January 31, 2025. Bookings can be made at dh.events@kings-foundation.org

Wedding bookings from July 2027 can also be made via dh.events@kings-foundation.org