Margaret Thatcher once observed Queen Elizabeth doing the washing-up at Balmoral. It was there too that Sir Tony Blair remembered Prince Philip manning the barbecue. The estate was one of the few places where the late Queen was afforded true privacy away from the public.
But under her son, King Charles, the royal haven is becoming increasingly accessible to the public, as part of an emerging trend of opening up royal properties across Scotland and the rest of the UK.
Tours now give visitors access to the interior of Balmoral Castle and Dumfries House. Luxury dinners at the Castle of Mey are bringing in more revenue, while an application to extend the capacity of the Queen’s Building at Balmoral creates the possibility of private events and weddings in the future.
Queen Elizabeth II chose to spend her final days at Balmoral in September 2022
JANE BARLOW/ALAMY
Royal experts say these moves form part of the monarchy’s wider plan to economise, pay for the expenses of their estates and “justify their existence for the 21st century”.
Ingrid Seward, author of My Mother and I, a forthcoming biography of Queen Elizabeth and the King, said: “You can’t have a medieval monarchy in the modern age, you have to be practical — and everything is so expensive.
“Charles is in charge of so many homes with an enormous staff, he must be really whacked by new taxes like national insurance rises and he has got to try and make economies and just make things work.”
Balmoral estate, in Aberdeenshire, was bought in 1852 by Prince Albert. The castle Albert built remains the private property of the monarch and not part of the Crown Estate. Significantly, it is where Queen Elizabeth II died, having chosen to spend her last days there in September 2022. But while the King has expressed a fondness for the estate, he prefers to stay in the nearby Birkhall lodge.
Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip with Prince Andrew, left, and Prince Edward at Balmoral
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In April last year, Charles granted permission for the first ever public tours of the castle’s interior on top of existing general admission to the grounds. In October, he submitted a planning application for a “major variation” to the adjacent Queen’s Building. The application included changes to the layout, an indoor capacity increase, from 250 to 277 people, and use of an outdoor patio.
It also cemented the potential for weddings at Balmoral. “The Queen’s Building part of the premises may be used for weddings, dinners, meetings and associated events,” a licence application noted.
A palace spokesman said: “There are no plans for Balmoral to host weddings as a commercial venture.”
John Sinclair, of Sheridan’s butchers, a former royal warrant holder in the nearby village of Ballater, said: “It’s great for bringing tourists to the local area, which is much needed. I think locals are very happy as it helps everyone with visitors eating out, staying overnight and seeing how beautiful Scotland is.”
Tickets for the tours this year sold out in a matter of days in January, despite an extended opening period from April 1 to August 10, compared with the period from July 1 to August 4 last year. Ticket prices also rose, from £100 to £110 for a tour and from £150 to £170 for a package including a tour and afternoon tea.
Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip during their traditional summer break at Balmoral
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Last year’s limited sale of just 40 interior tour tickets a day is estimated to have made the estate almost £200,000. A further 75,000 visitors to the grounds each year from May to August makes about £500,000 and in October, the King announced a series of seven-course paired tasting menus for 140 people across ten days in November and December. With tickets at £250, a further £35,000 contributed to the castle’s estimated £3 million a year running costs, including £1 million spent on staff.
Balmoral also launched an online shop in November featuring a range of gifts, the most expensive of which was a £2,050 hand-engraved crystal glass bowl by Rosie Campbell, a local artist, depicting the castle and its grounds.
Charles and Princess Anne being pushed on a swing by their father in the Balmoral grounds
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Geva Blackett, a local councillor, said: “Estates cost a lot of money to run and as Balmoral is the King’s privately owned estate, it makes sense to open where he can. When the grounds are open, the car parks are full. Balmoral acts as a gateway to economic benefits for many businesses in the area.”
Anouk Kloppert, also a councillor, praised the business Balmoral has brought to the area but added: “It has been difficult to find staff.” She attributed this to the cost of living, lack of affordable housing and Airbnbs pushing locals out.
She suggested a need for more housing and land. “The King is interested in, and has a track record on, sustainability and housing. Perhaps he could show how it gets done?”
Explaining why the King is allowing more public access to his properties than his mother did, Robert Hardman, author of the book Charles III, said: “The King understands that these places have to justify their existence in the 21st century. When there is a cost of living and housing crisis, there is an expectation that the head of state shares these places.
“He is following on a path that was set before his reign, for example with the opening up of Sandringham, but he is significantly accelerating the trend of greater public access.”
The Queen Mother at the gates of the Castle of Mey
ALAMY
Charles at the Castle of Mey in Caithness
ALAMY
Seward does not believe the King will open up the smaller Craigowan Lodge or Birkhall in Balmoral, but elsewhere in Scotland other parts of his estate are also following the trend set in the castle.
The Castle of Mey in Caithness was saved from abandonment by the Queen Mother in the 1950s. Charles spends over a week there each summer and in January he mirrored his moves at Balmoral, announcing private guided tours for £80 a person. Last year champagne tours and a meal at the King’s table, with accommodation at the estate’s Granary Lodge, were launched at £595. The Castle of Mey received over 20,000 visitors from May to October last year.
Dumfries House and its extensive collection of Chippendale furniture was purchased by the King in 2007 for £45 million from the family of the racing driver Johnny Dumfries. The King launched plans in November to build a 200-capacity wedding venue at the house, following the announcement in October of a three-course meal experience for £375 a head in the royal chamber. About 14,000 guests from 26 countries stayed overnight at Dumfries House Lodge last year.
Representatives signalled that the plans were part of wider moves towards growing public access: “Event hosting is vitally important to the survival of all that goes on within Dumfries House Estate and farther afield, where the [King’s charitable] Foundation is leading local regeneration projects and community initiatives.”