Not everyone who travels to Balmoral feels comfortable there. Some British prime ministers were apparently glad to get away from the royals' summer residence. Tony Blair (73) once described his visits as 'a vivid combination of the intriguing, the surreal and the utterly crazy.' According to media reports, he said he downed drinks with the strength of 'real rocket fuel,' which helped him. Margaret Thatcher (1925-2013) allegedly didn't fare much better: An official told the Guardian, 'she couldn't get away from there fast enough.'
The royal family itself, however, apparently loves their Scottish castle very much. Queen Elizabeth II (1926-2022) already spent her summers there, and her successor King Charles (77) continues the tradition. He is accompanied not only by his wife Camilla (79). A large portion of the royal relatives come to Aberdeenshire to vacation on the estate. And they have been doing so for a long time.
Balmoral was acquired in 1852 by Prince Albert (1819-1861) for Queen Victoria (1819-1901) after the couple fell in love with the landscape there. Since then, the estate has been passed down to successive generations of the royal family.
The Queen washed the dishes herself
There is plenty to see there. In addition to forests, pastureland, lakes and gardens, the estate has 150 buildings, including Birkhall, Craigowan Lodge and several other cottages. For Queen Elizabeth II, Balmoral was said to be her favorite place. She explored the grounds on the back of her horse or in her Range Rover. The members of the royal family also enjoy fishing, hunting, or picnics and barbecues there. The Queen's husband, Prince Philip (1921-2021), allegedly liked to man the grill himself. After dinner, the Queen washed the dishes, according to Tony Blair.
Balmoral was also the place where Princess Diana (1961-1997) and the then-Prince Charles spent their honeymoon in 1981. Diana wrote to a friend at the time: 'We are now in Scotland until the end of October, which is a great pleasure for us. I love being outdoors all day and hate London!'
But as Prince Harry (41) and Prince William (44) revealed in the documentary Diana, Our Mother: Her Life and Legacy, it is also the place where they spoke with their mother for the last time in 1997 before she died in a car accident in Paris. The princes also learned of their mother's death at Balmoral. On September 8, 2022, Queen Elizabeth then passed away at her Scottish estate Balmoral.
Visitors can vacation at Balmoral
Despite the tragedies associated with the estate, it remains a place of relaxation for King Charles and company. And when the royals are not at home, visitors can also explore Balmoral and stroll through the gardens or take a look into the castle's magnificent ballroom. Those who want to stay longer can book one of the numerous guesthouses on the property.
