EDEN CONFIDENTIAL: King Charles and Queen Camilla to follow in Queen Elizabeth’s footsteps by staying at Balmoral Castle for three weeks this summer instead of their favoured Birkhall home on the estate
With Queen Elizabeth no longer with us, there were fears that Balmoral Castle would be left without a monarch physically in residence this summer for the first time since the 19th century.
For King Charles and Queen Camilla are known to prefer staying at Birkhall, their private home on the Aberdeenshire estate.
However, I can reveal that the King has decided that he will maintain his mother’s tradition and stay at the castle for three weeks.
Tomorrow is the last day the public are allowed to enter the castle, which was bought by Prince Albert in 1852.
‘On Thursday, preparations will begin for the arrival of Their Majesties,’ says my man in the kilt and sporran. ‘They will move into the castle next week and will stay for three weeks.’
Queen Elizabeth II and King Charles at Balmoral Cricket Pavilion to mark the start of the official planting season for the Queen’s Green Canopy (QGC) at the Balmoral Estate – pictured in October 2021
A general view of Balmoral Castle, in Royal Deeside, Aberdeenshire, where the King has decided that he will maintain his mother’s tradition and stay at the castle for three weeks
King Charles and Queen Camilla when in Scotland, before unveiling a knitted art installation during a visit to Dumfries House in Ayrshire in September 2021
Next Monday, the King will inspect a guard of honour from the Balaklava Company, 5th Battalion, the Royal Regiment of Scotland at a ceremony outside the castle gates while pipers play.
Two days later, he and the Queen will move in to the castle, which reputedly has 167 rooms, including 52 bedrooms.
Last year, the military ceremony took place behind closed doors to maximise the comfort of the Queen, who was in failing health.
The King’s decision to stay at the castle means he will be there on the first anniversary of her death. She died at the castle on September 8, 2022, the first monarch to die at Balmoral.
It’s not known which members of the Royal Family will join the King and Queen at the castle during their stay.
Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip visit a farm on the Balmoral estate in Scotland, during their Silver Wedding anniversary year, September 1972
King Charles And Princes William and Harry attending a photocall at Balmoral in Aberdeenshire
The Prince and Princess of Wales and their three children are likely to visit. It would be a surprise if Princess Anne and her husband, Vice Admiral Sir Timothy Laurence, did not stay.
The Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh and their two children would also be expected to visit.
Prince Andrew, however, used to stay at the castle with his ex-wife, Sarah, and their two daughters at the start of August. The King put the kibosh on their visit by extending opening times to the public by two weeks.
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