There’s believed to be a new king - or queen - of the castle in Devizes.

The historic Grade 1 listed Devizes Castle in the centre of the town was listed with upmarket estate agents Knight Frank with a guide price of £2.65 million – and it is understood to have been sold by Knight Frank’s Hungerford office. It was initially on the market with Savills.

A member of the team at Knight Frank’s Bath office told this newspaper that he “believed that it is correct” that the castle has been sold. The castle is no longer listed among the properties for sale on the estate agent’s website.

The castle has overlooked Devizes since the 11th Century. The mansion comes complete with nine bedrooms, six reception rooms, six bathrooms and 2.83 acres of gardens.

The castle was a home of kings for 500 years, owned by generations of royals including Henry VIII.

The first castle on the site was built in 1080 by Osmund, Bishop of Salisbury. It is mentioned in the Domesday Book of 1086 and the market town grew around the castle.

The original structure burned down in 1113 and was rebuilt in stone by Roger, Bishop of Salisbury, by 1120. In that era, it was said that it was the most beautiful fortress in Europe. The bishop occupied it under Henry I and it was claimed by King Stephen in the 1130s. Empress Matilda once took it but returned the castle to King Stephen when he threatened to kill her son. Matilda later reclaimed it and held the castle for some time.

The property was owned by the Crown until the 17th Century. It was used as a prison by Henry II and Henry III. Important prisoners were held at the castle, including Robert Curthose, eldest son of William the Conqueror, and Hubert de Burgh. In 1206, King John held his second wife Isabella here as a prisoner.

The castle became a traditional property of the Queens of England and was gifted by Henry VIII to Catherine of Aragon and then, after their divorce, to Anne Boleyn, Jane Seymour and Anne of Cleves.

Now only one tower remains of the original castle - the rest of the building was destroyed during the Civil War when Oliver Cromwell’s troops invaded the town. The current castle, which dates back to the 1830s, was built around the surviving tower.

The nine-bedroom property boasts circular rooms. Guests are greeted by a pair of throne-style chairs in the grand stone entrance hall, while upstairs, a lengthy gallery-style hallway leads to a library featuring bookcase-lined walls and stone-mullioned windows, plus a separate dining room with long dining table. At the other end of the long hallway is a spacious drawing room with oak flooring and a grand fireplace. This room also has a panelled ceiling decorated with carved and gilded bosses.

The castle was last sold in 2019 for £3.25 million. No one was available at Knight Frank’s Hungerford office to confirm a sale. A spokeswoman for the estate agent’s press office said: “I’m afraid this isn’t something that we’re able to comment on”.