King Charles has spoken about the profound significance of Balmoral, describing it as holding a "uniquely special place" in the royal family's affections. Writing in the foreword to a new 80-page guidebook, the monarch shared that the Scottish estate serves as a "cherished home" for his family, distinguished by its "startling individuality" and a "precious, almost sacred, surrounding landscape."
Royal Legacy Since 1852
The estate's royal legacy began in 1852 when Queen Victoria and her husband Prince Albert, captivated by the Scottish Highlands, purchased the land and commissioned the castle's construction. Ever since, Balmoral has remained a favoured summer retreat, with generations of kings and queens imprinting their own distinct character upon its grounds and architecture.
Charles wrote of the 50,000-acre estate: "Balmoral has been the cherished Scottish home of my family since the estate was purchased by Prince Albert, my great-great-great-grandfather, in 1852. With its buildings of startling individuality, which never fail to fascinate, and its precious, almost sacred, surrounding landscape, it is a place where there is constant change, yet everything remains unaltered, with a sense of timelessness which refreshes the soul."
He added: "Since my earliest childhood, it has held, and continues to hold, a uniquely special place in the hearts of my family and myself, and my late mother particularly treasured her time at Balmoral. It was here, in these most beloved of surroundings, that she chose to spend her final days."
Charles's mother, Queen Elizabeth II, died peacefully at the estate aged 96 on September 8, 2022, after serving as sovereign for 70 years. The guidebook opens with an image of a watercolour of the castle, painted by Charles in 1989, alongside the foreword.
Public Access and Changes
In July 2024, the King opened the Aberdeenshire castle to the public for the first time in more than 170 years and has made a number of changes to the interior and the gardens. Before this, the only part of the building the public could visit was the ballroom, which houses a different exhibition each year.
Prime ministers are traditionally invited to stay with the head of state at Balmoral during the summer, and Harold Wilson, who is said to have "got on like a house on fire" with Queen Elizabeth II, joined members of the royal family for riverside picnics on the estate.
The new guidebook, titled Balmoral and written by journalist and historian Mary Miers, details how the King replaced the ballroom lawn with an intricate maze reflecting his interest in geometric patterns. Wrought-iron gates in the Queen Mary's Garden were remodelled in 2023 to celebrate the centenary of their creation and the coronation of Charles and Camilla with the inclusion of the couple's cyphers. Inside the castle, the King has introduced more furniture, paintings and objects, many drawn from the Royal Collection, along with carpets.
Ms Miers said: "Balmoral will forever be associated with Victoria and Albert's love affair with the Highlands, but there's so much more to the story, which I hope this guidebook reveals. Now that Balmoral is more publicly accessible, it's possible to appreciate how central the Prince Consort's interests in architecture, design, landscaping and estate management were to its creation, and how effectively the King, who shares these passions, has added a new layer of interest and style, while preserving and enhancing the original."
