British royal family opens doors to Balmoral Castle, but tickets are not cheap

NOS News•today, 12:49

The British royal family will open parts of Balmoral Castle to the public for the first time this summer. This has never happened since 1855, when the castle was put into use.

The country retreat in the Scottish Highlands was where Queen Elizabeth, who died in 2022, often spent the summer. Her son King Charles and his wife Camilla also visit often. Crown Prince William and Princess Catherine have their own residence on the estate.

Guided tours of parts of the castle take place between July 1 and August 4. This is only possible with a tour and a guide. A ticket for a tour costs 100 British pounds (117 euros). Whoever there is afternoon tea If you want to book, you have to pay 150 pounds (175 euros). There are only forty tickets available per day. All tickets have already been sold in a few days.

Tourists can visit the Balmoral gardens for longer. They are open to the public from May to early August. The tours stop before King Charles and Camilla will spend their summer holidays there.

The tour includes the Drawing Room to see. One of the last photos of Queen Elizabeth was taken in this room, just before she was to receive the new Prime Minister Truss. Two days later, Elizabeth would die at Balmoral Castle.

The opening of Balmoral Castle is a trial because, unlike Buckingham Palace, for example, the castle is not suitable for large flows of visitors. The residence in Aberdeenshire, in a simulated setting, also plays a prominent role in the series The Crown.