Inside Queen Elizabeth's Go-To Summer Escape, Balmoral Castle in Scotland

For more than 150 years, this Scottish castle has served as a favorite spot for the British royals — and where Queen Elizabeth retreats every August
By Stephanie Petit
July 24, 2018 02:46 PM

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Credit: Getty Images

For more than 150 years, the Scottish castle has served as a private retreat for the British royals. In the highlands, the royals like to entertain friends, hold dances, picnic and go on shooting parties – all the while battling the nibbling little flies that stalk the heather-covered mountain sides.

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A smiling baby Prince Andrew steals the show despite the incredible backdrop in a black and white family photo taken at the castle grounds in 1960. Of course, there's a corgi close at hand!

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Here, Queen Elizabeth poses with her beloved corgis beside a waterfall in Sept. 1971.

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Queen Elizabeth rides on horseback with the Scottish castle in the distance during the Royal Family's annual summer holiday in September 1971.

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The expansive Scottish property has been in the royal family since 1845, when Queen Victoria’s husband, Prince Albert, purchased the castle and the surrounding 7,000 acre estate.

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Queen Elizabeth, Prince Philip and their four children used this picture taken in front of Balmoral Castle during their annual summer holiday in 1972 as their Christmas card.

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Prince Charles looked the part in a tartan skirt and red knee socks while posing outside the castle with a dog back in 1978.

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Prince Charles and Princess Diana spent their honeymoon at Balmoral in August 1981.

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Prince William and Prince Harry spent time during their youth at the Scottish escape. Princess Diana held Harry as they played on the banks of the nearby River Dee in 1987.

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Prince Charles visit Glen Muick on the Belmoral Castle estate with sons Prince William and Prince Harry.

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The Duke and Duchess of Cornwall – or while in Scotland, the Duke and Duchess of Rothesay – wear matching tartan ensembles while celebrating their one year anniversary at Balmoral in 2006.

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It’s not all play for the monarch while she's away in the Scottish Highlands. She does continue to work, reading her diplomatic papers in the famous "red boxes" that are delivered daily. She will also continue to hold audiences and undertake some public engagements.

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Queen Elizabeth offered a rare glimpse inside her Scottish home while meeting Governor-General designate of Canada, Madame Julie Payett, at Balmoral Castle in Sept. 2017.

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In 2016, Kate Middleton's family got to experience the favorite royal spot. The Queen was at the wheel of her Range Rover as she chauffeured Kate's mom, Carole Middleton, from a picnic during a late summer getaway to the highlands hideaway of Balmoral. The families enjoyed one of their favorite pasttimes, a country shoot.

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Honoring a decades-old tradition that continues today, the Queen surveys the guards at Balmoral upon arrival for her summer holiday.

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During her summer holiday, the Queen will entertain many of her immediate family members, and this season will mark Meghan Markle's first summer there since her wedding to Prince Harry. Harry took Meghan to his grandmother's Scottish highlands estate last September before their engagement was announced.

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By Stephanie Petit