King Charles III is opening the doors of Balmoral Castle this summer for the most intimate tours ever allowed of the British royal family’s favourite private Scottish home, according to CNN.
Balmoral Manor, located on the banks of the Dee river in Scotland’s Cairngorms National Park, has been the Scottish seat of the clan since 1852, when it was purchased by Prince Albert for his wife, Queen Victoria.
This summer, for the first time since the castle was completed in 1856, visitors will be given unprecedented access to parts of the royal retreat that have never before been open to the public.
The decision to open up the grounds appears to be part of a wider drive by the king to make the royal residences more accessible. The east wing of Buckingham Palace, which houses the famous central balcony where members of the royal family gather for public appearances, will also be open to the public for the first time this summer.
Back at Balmoral, perhaps one of the most impressive pit stops on the tour will be the castle’s ballroom, where the late Queen Elizabeth II rested before her six-hour journey to Edinburgh in September 2022.
The exhibition in the ballroom will feature a collection of watercolours painted by the King’s hand, depicting the landscapes of Balmoral and two other royal estates, Highgrove and Sandringham, as well as outfits worn by Charles, his late mother, his grandmother and his consort. wife Queen Camilla.
According to the estate’s website, the hour-long tour, which is limited to 10 people, will take visitors on a “historical journey” from the purchase of the estate in the 1850s to the present day. There is also the opportunity to celebrate by serving traditional afternoon tea in the hotel restaurant for an additional £50.
As well as the grouse hunting, picnics and dog walks on the mud that kept the family entertained during the long summer days, the estate was also a place of solace where members of the royal family could enjoy time away from the limelight. It was here that Princes William and Prince Harry were told the tragic news of the death of their mother Diana, Princess of Wales. More recently, it was here that Queen Elizabeth II spent her final days as England’s longest reigning monarch.
Tours will run daily from 4 July to 11 August, but due to the booking frenzy, all tickets priced at £100 were snapped up by royal fans within 24 hours.
