King Charles & Queen Camilla Are Officially on Summer Holiday at Balmoral—These Pics Show the Breathtaking Beauty of the Royals’ Scottish Retreat

The beloved Scottish estate—open to the public for the first time this year—will close its doors to tourists on August 11 and prepare to welcome immediate members of the family and royal guests. So far, Prince William and Kate Middleton, Prince Edward and Duchess Sophie, even Prince Andrew and Sarah Ferguson are all expected to have received invites to attend.

But what’s so special about Balmoral? It’s been an estate beloved by the royal family since the days of Queen Victoria, when her husband Prince Albert purchased it as a gift for his wife (who happened to love the Scottish Highlands) in 1852. They immediately recognized the need to expand, completing construction on an additional castle just a few years later in 1856, the very same place the royals retreat today. (For reference, the entire estate covers a whopping 50,000 acres and includes 150 buildings in total. It’s also privately owned vs. part of the Crown Estate.)

Much like Victoria, Queen Elizabeth II famously tried to spend as much time as possible at Balmoral. (Some even say it was intentional that she extended her stay there ahead of her death in 2022.) In the documentary, Our Queen at Ninety, Princess Eugenie described her grandmother’s love of the Scottish escape best: “Walks, picnics, dogs—a lot of dogs, there’s always dogs—and people coming in and out all the time. [Balmoral is] a lovely base for Granny and Grandpa, for us to come and see them up there, where you just have room to breathe and run.”

Of course, many history-making moments have also taken place there. From then-Prince Charles’s 1981 honeymoon with Princess Diana to it being the location where Prince William and Prince Harry first learned of their mother’s tragic and untimely death in 1997. More recently, Balmoral made headlines for being the place where Queen Elizabeth II rode out her final days in 2022, passing away shortly after carrying out her final royal duty and appointing a new prime minister, Liz Truss.

Like we said—2024 is the first year the estate has been open to the public for official tours. (Tours, which are quite limited, sold out in 24 hours, womp.) Still, we were able to uncover a handful of pics that give a behind-the-scenes peek at Balmoral. (We’re also setting a calendar reminder to try and grab tickets to see it IRL next year.)

Normalcy was a core value for the royals when it came to time spent at the Scottish estate. As such, lunch was nearly always enjoyed outdoors—as seen in this pic of Queen Elizabeth, Prince Philip, Charles, Anne and Edward in 1960. Philip was famously known to be master of the BBQ, a role he enjoyed, but Prince Harry revealed in Spare that Queen Elizabeth also had a picnic specialty: the salad dressing.

This particular pic was taken at Balmoral post-summer holiday in October 1972. The queen is pictured in an office/study setup—with windows that overlook the grounds—and reviewing official government papers contained in her iconic red box.

Talk about a room with shelfie potential—these floor to ceiling bookcases must hold a treasure trove of history, just waiting to be combed through. This pic of the queen and Philip was snapped in 1976; the study is just one of the 167 rooms in the castle. (There are also nine cottages on the estate, available to rent whenever the royals aren’t in residence.)

This family photo—shot on the grounds of Balmoral Castle—was snapped in 1979, just two years before Charles wed Princess Diana.

Snapped in the springtime, just ahead of their wedding in May 1981, Charles and Diana—dressed in her Wellington boots—head inside the castle after enjoying a Balmoral hike. (That’s Charles’s Labrador, Harvey, by his side.)

With his dog Harvey once again by his side, Prince Charles heads off on a fishing expedition in 1982—and gives a clear peek into the estate’s sweeping greenery and wildflowers. (Other Balmoral pastimes favored by the royals in August include shooting, stalking and hiking. In fact, a few British tourists ran into the king himself last year while he was out for a hike on the grounds.)

This pic of Diana and Harry was snapped during a summer vacation in 1987. (A young Prince William was playing just nearby.)

Also taken by the River Dee, which runs through the estate, this pic of the now-King with his two sons was taken a few weeks before Diana’s death in 1997. It also gives a rare glimpse at the sweeping acreage and access to the outdoors at Balmoral.