Palaces - 23
http://www.worldheritagesite.org/categories/category19.html

Agra
Ambohimanga
Blenheim
Augustusburg
Changdeokgung
Drottningholm
Escurial
Fasil Ghebbi
Fontainebleau
Kromeriz
Genoa
Golestan
Beijing and Shenyang palaces
Litomysl
National History Park Haiti
Potsdam
Caserta
Abomey
Schönbrunn
Summer Palace Beijing
Versailles
Wartburg
Würzburg

My selection:

Agra
Ambohimanga
Changdeokgung
Escurial
Fasil Ghebbi
Golestan
Beijing and Shenyang palaces
Potsdam
Abomey
Summer Palace Beijing
Versailles
Wartburg

Should we include the fortress palaces in this category? Delhi Red Fort, Hill Forts of Rajastan, Fatehpur Sikri, Himeji Castle, Thang Long are actually a palace for soverign or local lord, similar to Wartburg.

I would include abomey largely as a representation of an African polity at the time of slavery and European expansion.
It has some art but that is a significant reason
It certainly isn't beautiful let alone iconic!! It has very fine corrugated iron roofs!! But we can't only include beautiful buildings

I just can't decide which of the European ones should be included. Fontainebleau is certainly very fine. Agree that we avoid European multiple sites!

My selection:
Changdeokgung
Fossil Ghebbi
Golestan
Beijing/Shenyang
Summer Palace
Versailles
Schonbrunn (maybe?)

I'd prefer fortresses in a different category as it would help a great deal. I agree with Solivagant that it's difficult already with this selection to choose which European sites are the best. I've made an extra effort to choose 1 or possibly 2 knowing that other categories will still add other European whs anyway

My opinion (those not mentioned are a clear 'No' to me):

Ambohimanga - Y - royal palace Malagasy style
Changdeokgung - Y? - We have to chose among the Korean WHS, this seems to be the prominent one in Seoul
Fasil Ghebbi - Y - Home of the Ethiopian emperors. Also a very early WHS (1979)
Fontainebleau - Y? - to have Fontainebleau, Versailles, Potsdam ánd Schönbrunn seems too much; Fontainebleau I found the most interesting to visit of these
Golestan - ? - was added quite late to the already very long list of Iranian WHS; I need convincing on why to include this on our A-list
Beijing and Shenyang palaces - Y - for the Forbidden City
National History Park Haïti - Y - represents an extraordinary piece of Haitian history during its first phase of an independent nation
Potsdam - N? - see Fontainebleau
Abomey - Y? - a reluctant Yes to represent African kingdoms
Schönbrunn - N? - see Fontainebleau
Summer Palace Beijing - N? - both Summer Palace & Imperial palace in Beijing seems too much
Versailles - Y - the most iconic of the inscribed palaces, it was a role model for many other European palaces also on the List, its gardens are the finest French gardens around
Wartburg - Y? - "the ideal castle" Central-European style, also connected to the evolution of Protestantism

I found myself in the same situation of having to decide between Fontainebleau and Potsdam but since I also chose Versailles and since I consider Potsdam's gardens as a great example to cover gardens in WHS I opted for the latter.

On Golestan, I included it in my personal draft of top 400 but it didn't make it in my top 200. I included it in my top 400 as a very representative palace in the Middle East region

Agra - N - other sites better represent Mughal architecture
Ambohimanga - Y - representative of royal site in an African context
Blenheim - Y - representative of British palaces and manor houses and lanscape gardening
Augustusburg - N - less important than other European palaces
Changdeokgung - Y - major site representative of Korean architecture
Drottningholm - N - less important than other European palaces
Escurial - Y - for the concept of combining a palace with a monastery
Fasil Ghebbi - Y - representative of Ethiopian culture, and influence
Fontainebleau - N - less important than other European palaces
Kromeriz - N - less important than other European palaces
Genoa - N - less important than other European palaces
Golestan - N - not sure this is the best site to represent Iranian civilization
Beijing and Shenyang palaces - Y - major site representing Chinese palace architecture
Litomysl - N - less important than other European palaces
National History Park Haiti - Y - representative of Caribbean history and Haiti in particular
Potsdam - N - less important than other European palaces
Caserta - Y - would take that one together with Versailles; biggest palace in Europe
Abomey - Y - representative of West African kingdoms
Schönbrunn - N - prefer Versailles and Caserta
Summer Palace Beijing - N - would rather go for Forbidden City (as representative of Chinese palaces) and Suzhou (for Chinese gardens)
Versailles - Y - became template for palaces all over Europe
Wartburg - N- it's claim to fame is mostly linked to Protestantism, but there are better sites for that
Würzburg - N - less important than other European palaces

My selection

Agra
Blenheim
Changdeokgung
Fossil Ghebbi
Beijing and Shenyang palaces
Caserta
Schonbrunn
Potsdam
Versailles

For East Asian palaces, I pick Beijing Imperial Palace, for its perfect architecture, design, history and intact. I did not choose Changdeokgung because most of its complex already destroyed by Japanese invasion only garden is still intact. Its asymmatric layout is interesting but similar to Summer Palace.

For South Asia: Agra Fort. Actualy I think Agra and Red Fort is quite similar as fortress palace, in my opinion palace in Fatehpur Sikri is more interesting for multi culture design, but nothing can compete the art of Agra Fort, so its the best in the group.

European Palace, I choose Versailles and Schonbrunn as the grand daddy of all European Palaces, also for their history and politic roles. The Russian palaces in Kremlin and Saint Petersburg are among the best but not in the list.

Islamic Palace: I don't know why Alhambra is not in the list, maybe the inclusion of Albayzin Quarter made its not a pure palace anymore.

Understandable, it is true several portions/structures of the palace have been rebuilt after Korea's tumultous history during the 20th century, but there are numerous structures that are very well preserved. Geumcheongyo Bridge is the oldest bridge in Seoul and dates back to 1411. The oldest wooden buildings are from the 17th century, as the palace was burned to the ground in the Imjin War. Injeongjeon Hall, the most grand building of the palace was last rebuilt in 1804. The general consensus is about 30% of the palace is original or rebuilt during the dynastic period. As you say, much or most of the garden layout and structures are intact. The property is about 58 ha in size, the garden alone is nearly 30 ha.

Dear Winterkjm, another fact that I decided not to choose Changdeokgung is the exclusion of next door Changgyeonggung. These two palaces are always together. Most of concubines, royal family and servant quarters were located here and many interesting history of Joseon Dynasty also happened here. So I feel the intrigity of the site is not complete.