King pays tribute to ‘uniquely special’ Balmoral
King pays tribute to ‘uniquely special’ Balmoral
Telegraph reportersMon, June 1, 2026 at 5:30 AM UTC
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King Charles often wears a kilt when he visits the Balmoral estate in the Highlands of Scotland - Jane Barlow/PA
Balmoral holds a “uniquely special place” in the hearts of the Royal family, the King has said in the foreword to a new guidebook.
The monarch, writing in the 80-page paperback titled Balmoral, said the Scottish estate was a “cherished home” for his family, with “startling individuality” and a “precious, almost sacred, surrounding landscape”.
In 1852, the 50,000-acre Balmoral estate was purchased by Queen Victoria and her husband, Prince Albert, who had become strongly drawn to the Highlands and went on to build the castle.
Since then, it has become a favourite summer retreat of the Royal family, with kings and queens adding their own stamp to the castle and grounds through the decades.
After holidaying with Princess Diana in Saint Tropez in July 1997, Prince William, then aged 15, and Prince Harry, 12, joined their father, at Balmoral - Tim Graham/Getty
The King wrote: “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.
“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.”
Queen Elizabeth II and the Duke of Edinburgh, with their children Princess Anne, Prince Charles and Prince Andrew on his first holiday to Balmoral on Sept 8 1960 - Topix/NCJ Archive/Mirrorpix/Getty
He added: “It was here, in these most beloved of surroundings, that she chose to spend her final days.
“Whatever the circumstances in which you are reading this book, I hope that you, too, will be inspired by the rich complexity of the architecture and share in the magic of the surrounding countryside, whose ‘wild and majestic’ landscape has been the source of inspiration and enjoyment for so many.”
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Queen Elizabeth II died peacefully at the estate aged 96 on Sept 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.
Painting by Charles
The King’s painting of Balmoral features in the book about the estate - Andrew Milligan/PA/Alamy
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, visitors were only allowed to view 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. Harold Wilson, one of the dominant Labour figures in British politics in the 1960s and 1970s, is said to have “got on like a house on fire” with Elizabeth II and joined members of the Royal family for riverside picnics on the estate.
The new guidebook, written by Mary Miers, a journalist and historian, describes how the King replaced the ballroom lawn with an intricate maze reflecting his interest in geometric patterns.
In 2023, the wrought-iron gates in Queen Mary’s Garden were redesigned to celebrate both their 100th anniversary and the King and Queen’s coronation, with the addition of their cyphers.
The King and Queen are frequent visitors to Balmoral and take part in community activities in the Highlands - Andrew Parsons/Parsons Media
Inside the castle, the King has introduced more furniture, paintings and artworks, many drawn from the Royal Collection.
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.”
Source: “AOL Entertainment”
