King Charles is putting his personal touch on the monarchy by further opening up royal residences to the public. Following the success of last year’s tours of Balmoral Castle, he has announced that visitors will once again have the opportunity to explore the stunning interior of his Highland home this summer.
From June to July, guests can delve into the history of Balmoral Castle and visit rooms currently used by the royal family. Tickets for the tours are already selling quickly after bookings opened on Tuesday.
Interior castle tour tickets are priced at £110 per person. For £170, visitors can enjoy an Afternoon Tea experience featuring Balmoral Estate venison sausage rolls, cucumber and truffle sandwiches, passion fruit bavarois, and chocolate salted caramel canelé.
The castle grounds will be open to visitors from Tuesday, 1 April, to Sunday, 10 August, before the King and Queen return for their summer stay.
A post on Balmoral Castle’s Instagram page highlighted new features in the gardens, including a Thistle maze, a Celtic maze garden, and fresh plantings of trees, shrubs, and topiary, all reflecting the King’s personal vision.
This marks the second consecutive year that King Charles has opened more of Balmoral to the public. Previously, visitors could only access the ballroom and the grounds of the castle, which was completed in 1855 and purchased by Queen Victoria and Prince Albert. Last year, tickets for the tours sold out within 24 hours.
Balmoral was famously a favorite of the late Queen Elizabeth II. Her granddaughter, Princess Eugenie, once described it as a place where the Queen was happiest, enjoying walks, picnics, and time with family and dogs.
The late Queen passed away at Balmoral on 8 September 2022, at the age of 96. King Charles has continued the tradition of hosting the royal family in Scotland during their summer break.
Currently, the King and Queen are staying at Sandringham in Norfolk, where they celebrated Christmas. Unlike the late Queen, who traditionally remained at Sandringham until February to mark her father King George VI’s death, Charles and Camilla spent part of last January in Scotland.
