From Monday, the interior of Balmoral Castle will be explored by those who managed to get one of the few tickets that sold out in April. Those who missed out can still visit the gardens.
It was Queen Elizabeth II’s favourite place and it was there that she spent her final moments before she died aged 96. From this Monday, the doors of Balmoral Castle will be open to visitors for the first time since the 19th century. The property, which has been the British royal family’s holiday home in Scotland since 1852, is now accessible to those who have not inherited the royal right to visit it.
Those who managed to get tickets, which have been sold out since April, paid between £100 and £150 for Discover the interior of the castle and all the furnishings and décor selected by the royal family. The organisation of the tours promises a journey back in time and ensures that the layout of the castle’s various rooms is faithful to the way they are used today by Charles III and other members of the Royal Family when travelling to the region for pleasure. Apart from the royals and their guests, no one had ever seen the inside of Balmoral before.
On the day they went on sale, tickets, which include the traditional “five o’clock tea”, sold out in less than 24 hours. Until August 4 daily, 40 people They will visit the interior of the castle. Tours of the exterior of Balmoral are also available, which are nothing new. For around £17 you can visit the grounds, gardens and exhibitions in the ballroom, the only room in the castle available for general admission. Watercolours by Charles III himself are on display.
The opening to the public comes before the King and Queen arrive at Balmoral for their summer holidays and was only possible with the permission of the monarch, as it is the King’s private property and is not included in the list of British Crown assets.
In August last year, the royal family gathered for the largest gathering since the sovereign’s death. King Charles and Queen Camilla were joined by Prince William and Princess Kate of Wales. Princess Anne and her husband Sir Tim Laurence and the Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh, Edward and Sophie, also attended the family reunion.
The royal family returns to Balmoral. The first holiday without Elizabeth II
On a tour prior to its opening to the public, the BBC visited the castle’s interior and revealed that although it is grand, it turns out to be “smaller than you think”. “The fishing rods and walking sticks stacked against the walls immediately conjure up images of King Charles strolling through the fields and those engagement photographs of Lady Diana by the River Dee,” describes British journalist Louise Hosie.
The apotheosis of the visit is described by the journalist as the moment when she enters the living room and sees the fireplace and the green sofas that characterise it and are known from several royal portraits. “I could see the late Queen by the fireplace and the other members of the royal family sitting around it. I was fully aware that I was in a space where royalty lived, where countless dignitaries were, and that will go down in history,” she says.
Source: Observadora
