Inside the royal family's summers at Balmoral which Prince Harry called a 'simple paradise'
Ever wondered how the royals spend their summer holidays?It’s known that the royal family spends their summers at their Scottish retreat of Balmoral Castle, but have you ever wondered what they really get up to?
Queen Victoria first acquired the estate in 1852 with her husband, Prince Albert. Since then, it has been the monarchy’s Highland home.
It has been a tradition for the monarch to spend the majority of the summer there, with close family and friends coming and going to visit. The royals usually travel to Balmoral in August until September.
Tucked away in the Aberdeenshire countryside, with 50,000 acres of land, it sounds like a perfect escape from the pressures of royal life.
Queen Elizabeth II was ‘most happy’ at Balmoral
Speaking in a documentary to mark the late Queen Elizabeth II’s 90th birthday, Princess Eugenie discussed her grandmother’s love for Balmoral.
“I think Granny is the most happy there,” she said, “I think she really, really loves the Highlands. Walks, picnics, dogs—a lot of dogs, there’s always dogs—and people coming in and out all the time.”
As a horse-lover and keen equestrian, Queen Elizabeth also spent a lot of time on the estate’s farm and at the stables.
She was also known to explore the rugged Scottish landscapes from behind the wheel of her Land Rover.
To close her holidays, the queen would always go to watch the Highland Games on the first Saturday in September, a tradition that has been continued by her son, King Charles.
Poignantly, the queen died at her beloved Balmoral Castle on September 8, 2022.
Royal ball at Balmoral
A tradition begun by Queen Victoria, “The Ghillies Ball”, is a big party held every year in the castle’s own ballroom to mark the end of the summer. Members of the royal family, royal staff, and close friends are usually in attendance, as the monarch’s way of thanking them for their hard work throughout the year.
The event is strictly private, with no photos being released, but it sounds like a fancy affair, with women wearing ball gowns and tartan sashes and men embracing the Scottish kilts.
King Charles honeymooned twice at Balmoral
Since Queen Elizabeth II’s death, King Charles and Queen Camilla have taken over hosting duties at Balmoral, which is also a significant place for them as a couple.
After their marriage in 2005, they chose to honeymoon there together. A somewhat controversial choice from Charles, who also took his first wife, Princess Diana, there for their honeymoon in 1981.
Charles and Camilla also spent time self-isolating at Balmoral after testing positive for COVID-19 in 2020.
Prince Harry described Balmoral as ‘paradise’
In his memoir, Spare, Prince Harry expressed a genuine love of Balmoral and the holidays he spent there as a child.
He opened up about the royal family’s summer home, where he was, of course, staying when he received the devastating news of his mother’s death.
“To me, Balmoral was always simply paradise,” he gushed. “A cross between Disney World and some sacred Druid grove. I was always too busy fishing, shooting, running up and down ‘the hill’ to notice anything off about the feng shui of the old castle.”
“What I’m trying to say,” he continued, devastatingly. “I was happy there. In fact, it’s possible that I was never happier than that one golden summer day at Balmoral: August 30, 1997.”
Prince William’s fond memories of Balmoral
Prince William also seems to have fond childhood memories of Balmoral. He shared one of these in a recent appearance on cousin-in-law Mike Tindall’s podcast with his wife Kate and aunt Princess Anne.
While discussing the royal family’s sporting prowess, Princess Anne reminisced about having running races with a young Prince William.
“Running around the square at Balmoral, I was really good at that, I did corners really well,” recalled Anne.
William jokingly agreed: “You were quite quick! Also, the look that you had on your face was quite terrifying.”
The Prince of Wales now appears to have passed on this love of Balmoral to his children. Prince George, 12, Princess Charlotte, 10, and Prince Louis, seven, also seem fond of the summer retreat.
Following Queen Elizabeth II’s passing, Kate heartbreakingly revealed that Prince Louis had been asking if they could “still play games when we go to Balmoral…’cause she’s not going to be there?”
Balmoral really does seem like the perfect idyllic summer retreat. The royal family is expected to spend some time there this summer.
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