In 1906 James Dunsmuir commissioned Canadian architect Samuel Maclure to build a 40-room mansion on their estate “Hatley Park”. The building is 200 feet long and 86 feet wide; the turret is 82 feet high. Local stone, and sandstone from Valdez and Saturna Island was used in the building’s construction. The castle was completed in 1908.
After Dunsmuir died in May 1920, wife lived on at Hatley Park with her daughter Eleanor until she died in August, 1937. Eleanor died six months later.
For the next three years, the estate was left in the hands of a caretaker. In November 1940, it was purchased by the Dominion Government for $75,000 to begin its career as a Naval Training Establishment. On 13 December 1940 HMCS Royal Roads was commissioned as an Officer Training Establishment for short-term probationary RCNVR sub-lieutenants and operated as such until 21 October 1942, when the facility was renamed to the Royal Canadian Naval College at Royal Roads and training of regular force naval cadets commenced.
At the outbreak of World War II the federal Crown-in-Council developed contingency plans for Hatley Castle to be uses as the King’s royal residence. The Royal Family and government decided against the Royal Family leaving the UK during the war, and King George VI, Queen Elizabeth, and princesses Elizabeth and Margaret,stayed in London.
In 1945 the facility became the Royal Canadian Naval College became, in 1947, the RCN-RCAF Joint Services College. In 1948 army cadets were admitted and Royal Roads became a tri-service College known as the Canadian Services College Royal Roads. In 1968, the name of the College was changed to Royal Roads Military College
The military college was closed in 1995 and Royal Roads University was opened as a public, degree-granting university. It leases the campus from the Department of National Defence for $1 per year.
In 1995 the castle and grounds were designated as Hatley Park National Historic Site. Royal Roads University is responsible for site management, operations, heritage preservation and restoration, and educating the public about the site’s history and natural resources.
Royal Roads is named for the Royal Roads body of water, which forms the entrance into Esquimalt Harbour from the Strait of Juan de Fuca, lying to the east.