The Surprising Place Where Queen Elizabeth II Is “Most Happy”
Updated: Nov. 22, 2021
Hint: It's not anywhere near London!
What is the Queen’s Favourite Home?
It’s no secret that Queen Elizabeth II spends a lot of time in some very luxurious places. From Buckingham Palace, with its 775 opulent rooms (one of the must-see attractions in London), to Windsor Castle, where she usually spends her weekends, Her Majesty’s haunts are some of the most impressive dwellings in the world. But the place where she’s happiest is not one of the places people might most commonly associate with her. In fact, it’s not even in England. It’s Balmoral Castle, the Queen’s holiday home located in Royal Deeside, Aberdeenshire, Scotland. (Find out some more British royal family secrets you never knew.)
Balmoral Castle is the Queen’s Favourite Home
Balmoral Castle is a stately Scottish Baronial mansion situated on a 50,000-acre estate. It’s pretty unique among royal residences in that it’s actually owned by the royal family, rather than being the property of the Crown Estate. The only other royal dwelling that’s like this is Sandringham House in Norfolk.
The royal family’s connection with Balmoral dates back to the 19th century. Queen Victoria and Prince Albert purchased a home there in 1852… And then promptly oversaw construction of an even bigger home. Upon its completion in 1856, the smaller castle was torn down, leaving the castle that remains today. Here are 24 more things you didn’t know about Queen Victoria.
Summers at Balmoral
Fast-forward to present day, and the current monarch summers there every year. While still, of course, a castle, Balmoral is considerably less opulent than Buckingham or Windsor, and the royals use their time there to unwind and take a break from some of the pressures of royal life. Queen Elizabeth II has been photographed there doing everything from horseback riding to taking joyrides in a Range Rover. (Check out some more candid, rarely seen photos of the royal family.)
“Granny is the Most Happy There”
And, even though she goes every year, it seems the Queen never tires of it. Her granddaughter Princess Eugenie, in the 2016 documentary Our Queen At Ninety, said that “Granny is the most happy there.” The Telegraph also referred to it as “the Queen’s favourite home,” saying that Balmoral offers the royals “the sort of privacy and seclusion they are denied in the royal palaces.”
If you think seeing a place like that in person sounds like a dream, you’re in luck—Balmoral Castle actually does offer tours! While it’s off-limits to the public when the royals are visiting, you actually can take a tour of the home in 2022. So if you’re planning a visit to the British Isles in the future, consider taking a holiday fit for a queen!
Read on to find out some more Queen Elizabeth facts most people don’t know.
