Balmoral Castle: the story of the Scottish home that Queen Elizabeth II loved

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The Queen and Prince Philip at Balmoral for their silver wedding anniversary in 1972

The late Queen Elizabeth II’s love for her home at Balmoral, on Royal Deeside, was well known.

The Queen spent most of the summer in the 50,000-acre rural county of Aberdeenshire, often with her beloved late husband Prince Philip and her family.

Surrounded by rural scenery, Balmoral Castle is where she spent a happy vacation, from her first visit with her grandparents King George V and Queen Mary as a young child, to the last months of her life.

The royal family is sitting on the floor

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The Queen and Prince Philip with their children Princess Anne, Prince Andrew and Prince Charles on the grounds of Balmoral Castle Square in 1960

The Queen had several royal parties in her outdoor gardens there and enjoyed watching the Braemar Highland Games (traditional Scottish games) with other members of the royal family.

She and Prince Philip also spent much of his final years at Balmoral, where they stayed together during the coronavirus lockdown and spent their 73rd wedding anniversary there in November 2020.

Balmoral has been a residence of the British royal family since 1852, when Prince Albert, husband of Queen Victoria, purchased the county and its original castle from the Farquharson family. Then the house turned out to be very small and the current Balmoral Castle was built.

Balmoral Castle

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Balmoral Castle has been the residence of the royal family since 1852

The castle itself is an example of Scottish baronial architecture, and is classified by the Historic Environment of Scotland as a Class A listed building. The new castle was completed in 1856 and the old castle was demolished shortly thereafter. It remains the Queen’s private property and is not part of the Crown Estate.

It is a county that contains agricultural facilities, grouse swamps, forests, and farmland, as well as herds of deer, highland cows, and ponies.

The royal family was at Balmoral when Princess Diana died, on August 31, 1997, and she became the center of attention after that.

After attending a private service at the Krathie Chapel, the Queen and the royal family stopped to look at the remaining flowers to bid farewell to Princess Diana, at the gates of Balmoral Castle

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After attending a private service at the Krathie Chapel, the Queen and the royal family stopped to look at the remaining flowers to bid farewell to Princess Diana, at the gates of Balmoral Castle, in September 1997

On the Sunday morning after Princess Diana’s death, the Queen and Princes Charles, William and Harry attended mass at the chapel in nearby Krathie Kirk.

Here is a collection of historical photos of the Queen and her family at Balmoral over the years:

Princess Elizabeth with her grandparents King George V and Queen Mary on the way back to Balmoral after attending mass at the chapel in nearby Krathie in September 1932

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Princess Elizabeth with her grandparents King George V and Queen Mary on the way back to Balmoral after attending mass at the chapel in nearby Krathie in September 1932

The Royal Family During a visit to Balmoral Castle in 1951, Princess Elizabeth was with her children Prince Charles (left) and Princess Anne.

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The royal family during a visit to Balmoral Castle in 1951, Princess Elizabeth with her children Prince Charles (left) and Princess Anne

Queen Elizabeth II with her children Charles (right) and Anne, at Balmoral in 1952

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Queen Elizabeth II with her children Charles (right) and Anne, at Balmoral in 1952

The Queen plays with Prince Charles and Princess Anne in the castle windows in 1952

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The Queen plays with Prince Charles and Princess Anne in the castle windows in 1952

The Queen watches her son Prince Charles drive a toy car on the grounds of Balmoral Castle

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The Queen watches her son Prince Charles drive a toy car on the grounds of Balmoral Castle

President Eisenhower with the Queen and Prince Philip at Balmoral Castle in September 1959

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US President Eisenhower with the Queen and Prince Philip at Balmoral Castle in September 1959

Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip in a field watching Highland cattle in Balmoral in 1972

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Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip in a field watching Highland cattle in Balmoral in 1972

The Queen at her writing desk in Balmoral in 1972

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The Queen at her writing desk in Balmoral in 1972

The Queen and Prince Philip studying at Balmoral in 1976

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The Queen and Prince Philip in the study room at Balmoral in 1976

The royal family at Balmoral

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Queen Elizabeth and the Duke of Edinburgh with their three children, Edward, Charles and Andrew on their 32nd wedding anniversary in Balmoral on November 20, 1979

The Queen and Prince Philip on vacation at Balmoral Castle in 2005

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The Queen and Prince Philip on vacation at Balmoral Castle in 2005

the Royal family

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The Queen and members of the royal family laugh as they watch a tug-of-war during the Braemar Gathering for the Scottish Games in 2006

The Queen attends a garden party at Balmoral Castle in 2012

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The Queen attends a garden party at Balmoral Castle in 2012

The Queen signs a message

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The Queen signs a message at Balmoral carried in a Commonwealth torchbearer before the 2014 Glasgow Commonwealth Games

The Queen arrives in Krathie Kirk with the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge in August 2019

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The Queen arrives at Krathie Kirk with the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge in August 2019

queen in summer

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The Queen inspects a Balaclava foal, 5th Battalion, Royal Scottish Regiment at the Gates of Balmoral, where she has been staying in the summer at the castle in August 2021

Children from Krathie Primary School present the Queen with a card at the cricket pavilion in Balmoral in October 2021

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Children from Krathie Primary School present the Queen with a card at the cricket pavilion in Balmoral in October 2021

Queen Elizabeth receives new Prime Minister Liz Terrace, in the Balmoral drawing room on Tuesday to task her with forming a government

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Queen Elizabeth receives new Prime Minister Liz Terrace, in the Balmoral drawing room on Tuesday to task her with forming a government

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