Balmoral Castle.

Balmoral Castle, painted by Queen Victoria in 1854 during its construction.

Balmoral Castle is a large estate house situated in the area of Aberdeenshire, Scotland known as Royal Deeside. The estate was purchased by Queen Victoria's consort Prince Albert, and remains a favorite summer royal residence. Image File history File links Download high resolution version (1024x609, 134 KB)Photograph by Stuart Yeates, from Flickr. ... Image File history File links Download high resolution version (1024x609, 134 KB)Photograph by Stuart Yeates, from Flickr. ... balmoral castle painted by queen victoria in 1854 during its construction This image has been released into the public domain by the copyright holder, its copyright has expired, or it is ineligible for copyright. ... balmoral castle painted by queen victoria in 1854 during its construction This image has been released into the public domain by the copyright holder, its copyright has expired, or it is ineligible for copyright. ... Victoria (Alexandrina Victoria; 24 May 1819 – 22 January 1901) was the Queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland from 20 June 1837, and the first Empress of India from 1 May 1876, until her death on 22 January 1901. ... An estate comprises the houses and outbuildings and supporting farmland and woods that surround the gardens and grounds of a very large property, such as a country house or mansion. ... Logo of Aberdeenshire Council Aberdeenshire (Siorrachd Obar Dheathain in Gaelic) is one of the 32 unitary council areas in Scotland. ... This article is about the country. ... River Dee near Braemar The River Dee is a 90 mile (140 km) long river, which rises in the Cairngorms, Aberdeenshire, Scotland, and flows to the North Sea. ... Victoria (Alexandrina Victoria; 24 May 1819 – 22 January 1901) was the Queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland from 20 June 1837, and the first Empress of India from 1 May 1876, until her death on 22 January 1901. ... Prince Albert of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha (in full Francis Charles Augustus Albert Emmanuel) (26 August 1819 – 14 December 1861) was the husband and consort of Queen Victoria of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland. ... The quintessential medieval European palace: Palais de la Cité, in Paris, the royal palace of France. ...

The Balmoral estate has been passed down the generations and has gradually expanded to more than 260 square kilometres (65,000 acres) [1]. Today it is a working estate, employing 50 full time staff and 50 to 100 part time. Estate: The term applies to land under ownership and as such is a generic term for a parcel of land held by an individual or family, common in early British Gentry. ...

Early history

The Balmoral Estate began as a home built by Sir William Drummond in 1390. The estate was formerly owned by King Robert II (1371–1390), who had a hunting lodge in the area. After Drummond, the estate was sold to Alexander Gordon, the 3rd Earl of Huntly, in the 15th century. The estate remained in the family's hands until it was sold in 1662 to the Farquharsons of Invery, who sold the estate in 1798 to the 2nd Earl of Fife. The estate formed part of the coronation activities of King George IV in 1822. This page is about William Drummond (d. ... Robert the warrior and knight: the reverse side of Robert IIs Great Seal, enhanced as a 19th century steel engraving. ... A hunter on horseback shoots at deer or elk with a bow. ... The title Marquess of Huntly was created in the peerage of Scotland in 1599, making it the oldest existing marquessate in Scotland, and the second-oldest in the British Isles, only the English Marquessate of Winchester being older. ... Clan Farquharson of Invercauld is a Scottish clan which derives its name from Farquhar Shaw, 4th son of Alexander Ciar Mackintosh of Rothiemurchus, 5th Chief of the Clan Shaw, who settled in the Braes of Mar, the source of the River Dee. ... The title of Earl of Fife was created several times in the Peerages of Scotland, Ireland, and the United Kingdom. ... A asses is a ceremony marking the investment of a monarch with regal power through, amongst other symbolic acts, the placement of a crown upon his or her head. ... George IV (George Augustus Frederick) (12 August 1762 – 26 June 1830) was king of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland and Hanover from 29 January 1820 until his death. ...

Royal residence

Balmoral is today best known as a royal residence, the summer retreat of Queen Elizabeth II and the Duke of Edinburgh. The history as a royal residence dates back to 1848, when the house was rented to Queen Victoria and Prince Albert by the trustees of Sir Robert Gordon (who had obtained a long-term lease of the castle in 1830 and died in 1847). They very much enjoyed their stay in the house, and they paid just over £30,000 for full ownership in 1852. Prince Albert immediately started making plans with William Smith to extend the existing 15th century castle, and make a "new" and bigger castle fit for the royal family. Elizabeth II (Elizabeth Alexandra Mary Windsor; born 21 April 1926) is Queen of sixteen sovereign states, holding each crown and title equally. ... Prince Philip redirects here. ... Renting is an agreement where a payment is made for the temporary use of a good owned by another person or company. ... Victoria Queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, Empress of India Victoria (Alexandrina Victoria) (24 May 1819–22 January 1901) was a Queen of the United Kingdom, reigning from 20 June 1837 until her death. ... Prince Albert of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha (in full Francis Charles Augustus Albert Emmanuel) (26 August 1819 – 14 December 1861) was the husband and consort of Queen Victoria of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland. ... Sir Robert Gordon, GCB, GCH, PC (1791–8 October 1847) was a British diplomat. ... The symbol £ represents the pound currency which Britain uses. ...

In 1856 the building was completed, it now being a full and working estate with around 100 buildings surrounding the castle. The castle, not including its land and estate, is valued at around £160 million^{[citation needed]} and remains privately owned by the British royal family. Members of the Royal Family on the balcony of Buckingham Palace after the Trooping the Colour ceremony The British Royal Family is shared between the Commonwealth Realms; this article focuses on the perspective of United Kingdom. ...

Along with Sandringham House, Balmoral is private property and not part of the royal estate. This became an issue in 1936, when Edward VIII abdicated as king but did not automatically relinquish the private property he had inherited. George VI had to explicitly purchase Balmoral and Sandringham from his older brother, so that they could remain private retreats for the monarch. Sandringham House is a country house on 8000 acres (32 km²) of land near the village of Sandringham, Norfolk, which is privately owned by the British Royal Family. ... In the United Kingdom, the Crown Estate is a property portfolio associated with the monarchy. ... Edward VIII (Edward Albert Christian George Andrew Patrick David; later The Prince Edward, Duke of Windsor; 23 June 1894 – 28 May 1972) was King of Great Britain, Ireland, the British Dominions beyond the Seas, and Emperor of India from the death of his father, George V (1910–36), on 20... The Instrument of Abdication signed by Edward VIII and his three brothers The Edward VIII abdication crisis refers to events which occurred in 1936, when King-Emperor Edward VIII of the British Empire precipitated a constitutional crisis throughout his realms by his desire to marry his mistress, Mrs. ... George VI (Albert Frederick Arthur George; 14 December 1895 – 6 February 1952) was King of the United Kingdom and the British Dominions from 11 December 1936 until his death. ...

Today, the Balmoral Estate is still in working order, occupying over 200 km² of land. The Royal Family employs around 50 full-time and 50–100 part-time staff to maintain the estate and look after the animals. The part-time staff are used particularly when the Queen makes her annual visit. A square metre (US spelling: square meter) is by definition the area enclosed by a square with sides each 1 metre long. ...

There has been some speculation that Balmoral Castle may have been earmarked as a royal refuge in the event of nuclear war.^{[citation needed]} In the 1960s war plans apparently envisaged evacuating the Sovereign to the Royal Yacht Britannia, but this might not have been practical, and a land-based refuge would have been desirable. It would appear that, contrary to persistent rumour, there were no plans for the Sovereign to join the Prime Minister at the Corsham bunker complex known variously as Hawthorn, Subterfuge, Site 3, Burlington, or Turnstile.^{[citation needed]} Buckingham Palace and Windsor Castle would both have been too vulnerable, the former as being in the heart of London — a major target in its own right — and Windsor because of its proximity to Heathrow Airport. For other uses, see Monarch (disambiguation). ... Britannia HM Yacht Britannia was the 83rd Royal Yacht since the restoration of King Charles II in 1660 (Charles II himself had 25 Royal Yachts, while five were simultaneously in service in 1831). ... Her Majestys Yacht Britannia was the 83rd Royal Yacht since the restoration of King Charles II in 1660. ... The Prime Minister of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is, in practice, the political leader of the United Kingdom. ... , Corsham is a small mediæval town in northwest Wiltshire, England. ... Hawthorn, Wiltshire, also known as Corsham or TURNSTILE, is an immense nuclear bunker in the United Kingdom. ... Buckingham Palace and the Victoria Memorial. ... This article is about the castle in Windsor. ... This article is about the capital of England and the United Kingdom. ... London Heathrow Airport (IATA airport code: LHR, ICAO airport code: EGLL, and often simply Heathrow) is the United Kingdoms busiest and best-connected airport. ...

The Queen was in residence at Balmoral at the time of the death of Diana, Princess of Wales in 1997. Her initial decision not to return to London or to mourn more publicly was much criticised at the time. Her private discussions with Prime Minister Tony Blair are dramatised in the movie The Queen. The Pont de lAlma tunnel, where Diana was fatally injured. ... Princess Diana redirects here. ... This article is about the capital of England and the United Kingdom. ... For other people of the same name, see Tony Blair (disambiguation) Anthony Charles Lynton Blair (born May 6, 1953)[1] is the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, First Lord of the Treasury, Minister for the Civil Service, Leader of the Labour Party, and Member of Parliament for the constituency... The Queen. ...

See also

• Crathie Kirk
• Castles in Scotland

Crathie Kirk Crathie Kirk is a small Church of Scotland parish church in the Scottish village of Crathie, best known for being the regular place of worship of the British Royal Family when they are holidaying at nearby Balmoral Castle. ... Castles in Scotland is a link page for any castle in Scotland. ...

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to:

Balmoral Castle

• Official site
• Balmoral Castle on About.com
• Tom Weir visits Balmoral - video from ScotlandonTV

v • d • e Settlements and Places of Interest in Marr, Aberdeenshire
Primary Settlements	Aboyne · Alford · Ballater · Banchory · Braemar · Huntly · Lumphanan · Tarland · Torphins Image File history File links Commons-logo. ... Marr is a committee area in Aberdeenshire, Scotland. ... Logo of Aberdeenshire Council Aberdeenshire (Siorrachd Obar Dheathain in Gaelic) is one of the 32 unitary council areas in Scotland. ... Aboyne (Scottish Gaelic: Abèidh) is a village on the edge of the Highlands in Aberdeenshire, Scotland, on the River Dee approximately 30 miles (48km) west of Aberdeen. ... Alford (Scottish Gaelic: Athfort) is a large village in Aberdeenshire, north-east Scotland. ... Ballater is a burgh in Aberdeenshire, Scotland on the River Dee, just east of the Cairngorm Mountains. ... , Banchory (Scottish Gaelic: Beannchar) is a burgh or town in Aberdeenshire, Scotland. ... Braemar (Scottish Gaelic, Baile a Chaisteil Bhràigh Mhàrr) is a village in Aberdeenshire, Scotland, around 58 miles west of Aberdeen in the Highlands. ... Huntly is a town in Aberdeenshire in Scotland, formerly known as Milton of Strathbogie. ... Lumphanan, is a village in Aberdeenshire, Scotland located 25 miles from Aberdeen and 10 miles from Banchory. ... Tarland is town in Aberdeenshire, Scotland and is located five miles northwest of Aboyne, and 30 miles west of Aberdeen. ... This article or section is not written in the formal tone expected of an encyclopedia article. ...
Other Settlements	Crathie · Kincardine O'Neil · Logie Coldstone · Monymusk · Ruthven · Strathdon Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Crathie is a village in Aberdeenshire, Scotland, located at 57°02′ N 3°13′ W. It stands on the north bank of the River Dee. ... , Kincardine ONeil is one of the oldest villages in Deeside. ... An Aberdeenshire village near Tarland in the Cromar, a basin of land cut out of the Grampian foothills between Aboyne and Ballater, North of the River Dee (see. ... Monymusk is a planned village in Aberdeenshire, Scotland which was almost entirely rebuilt in 1840,[1][2] although its history dates back to 1170. ... Ruthven, Aberdeenshire is a village in Scotland near Huntly (to the south east), and Keith (to the north west). ... Strathdon is situated in the valley of the River Don 45 miles west of Aberdeen in the Highlands of Scotland. ...
Places of Interest	Balmoral Castle · Blelack · Braemar Castle · Burn o' Vat · Cairn O' Mounth · Cairngorms National Park · Corgarff Castle · Craigievar Castle · Crathes Castle · Crathie Kirk · Grampian Transport Museum · Huntly Castle · Kildrummy Castle · Lochnagar · Lost · Royal Deeside · Royal Deeside Railway · Tullich · Vale of Alford Railway Blelack a place in Aberdeenshire, Scotland, and the location of Blelack House,a scottish mansion house with origins in the seventeen century . ... Braemar Castle is a castle near Braemar in the Aberdeenshire region of Scotland. ... Cairn O Mounth/Cairn O Mount (Scottish Gaelic: Càrn Mhon) is a high mountain pass in Aberdeenshire, Scotland. ... The Cairngorms National Park is a national park in North-eastern Scotland. ... Location of Corgarff Castle within Grampian, Scotland Corgarff Castle is a castle at the head of Strathdon in the Grampian region of Scotland. ... Craigievar Castle is a pinkish harled castle six miles south of Alford, Aberdeenshire, Scotland. ... Crathes Castle is a castle near Banchory in the Grampian region of Scotland. ... Crathie Kirk Crathie Kirk is a small Church of Scotland parish church in the Scottish village of Crathie, best known for being the regular place of worship of the British Royal Family when they are holidaying at nearby Balmoral Castle. ... Grampian Transport Museum is a museum based in Alford, Aberdeenshire, Scotland. ... Huntly Castle is a ruined castle near Huntly in Aberdeenshire, Scotland. ... Kildrummy Castle is a ruined castle near Kildrummy, in Aberdeenshire, Scotland. ... Lochnagar is a mountain located about five miles south of the River Dee near Balmoral. ... Lost (Lòsda in Scottish Gaelic); population: less than two dozen; grid reference NJ349132 or on 1869 map) is a tiny hamlet in Aberdeenshire, Scotland. ... River Dee near Braemar The River Dee is a 90 mile (140 km) long river, which rises in the Cairngorms, Aberdeenshire, Scotland, and flows to the North Sea. ... The Royal Deeside Railway was formed by a preservation society with the intention of reclaiming part of the Great North of Scotland Railway branch from Aberdeen to Ballater, in Scotland. ... Tullich (Grid ref: NO 390 975) (Landranger, 2000) is a village in Aberdeenshire, Scotland. ... The Alford Valley Railway, built in 1859, was a Great North of Scotland Railway branch line from Kintore, northwest of Aberdeen. ...

	Royal Palaces and residencies in the United Kingdom
Occupied: Bagshot Park • Balmoral Castle • Birkhall • Buckingham Palace • Clarence House • Gatcombe Park • Highgrove • Holyrood Palace • St. James's Palace • Kensington Palace • Sandringham House • Thatched House Lodge • Windsor Castle
Historical: Palace of Beaulieu • Beaumont Palace • Bridewell Palace • Brantridge Park • Coppins • Cumberland Lodge • Dunfermline Palace • Eltham Palace • Falkland Palace • Fort Belvedere • Hampton Court Palace • Kew Palace • Linlithgow Palace • Marlborough House • Castle of Mey • Nonsuch Palace • Osborne House • Palace of Placentia • Queen's House • Richmond Palace • Royal Pavilion • Savoy Palace • Tower of London • Palace of Westminster • Palace of Whitehall • Woodstock Palace

Coordinates: 57°02′23″N, 3°13′53″W Image File history File links Royal_Standard_of_England. ... This is a list of residences occupied by the British Royal family, noting the seasons of the year they are traditionally occupied. ... Image File history File links Royal_Standard_of_Scotland. ... Bagshot Park circa 1880. ... Birkhall is a 53,000 acre estate in Royal Deeside, Aberdeenshire, Scotland. ... Buckingham Palace and the Victoria Memorial. ... Clarence House, London Clarence House is a royal home in London, situated in The Mall. ... Gatcombe Park is the private country home of Princess Anne, the Princess Royal, situated between the Gloucestershire villages of Minchinhampton and Avening, five miles south of Stroud. ... Highgrove is the country home of HRH The Prince of Wales, in Gloucestershire. ... A 19th century view of Holyrood Palace from Calton Hill. ... St Jamess Palace and The Mall by Jan Kip, 1715. ... Kensington Palace Park Kensington Palace is a royal residence set in Kensington Gardens in the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea in London, England. ... Sandringham House is a country house on 8000 acres (32 km²) of land near the village of Sandringham, Norfolk, which is privately owned by the British Royal Family. ... Thatched House Lodge is a royal residence in the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames in London, England. ... This article is about the castle in Windsor. ... The Palace of Beaulieu also known as New Hall was located in Essex, England, north of Chelmsford. ... Beaumont Palace Oxford was built by Henry I about 1130 to serve as a royal palace conveniently close to the royal hunting-lodge at Woodstock (now part of the park of Blenheim Palace. ... The Pass Room at Bridewell from Ackermanns Microcosm of London (1808–1811), drawn by Thomas Rowlandson and Augustus Pugin. ... Brantridge Park, Balcombe, West Sussex, is one of the lesser royal residences. ... Coppins was originally a mid-nineteenth century farmhouse built by John Mitchell. ... Built 1650 in Windsor Great Park, south of Royal Lodge, Cumberland Lodge was called Byfield House till 1670. ... Dunfermline Palace is a former Scottish royal palace in Dunfermline, Fife. ... Eltham Palace Eltham Palace is a large house in Eltham, London, United Kingdom (Map Ref: TQ424740 , ), currently owned by English Heritage and open to the public. ... Falkland Palace is a former Scottish royal palace in Falkland, Fife. ... Fort Belvedere Fort Belvedere is a country house on Shrubs Hill in Windsor Great Park, very near Sunningdale, Berkshire, but actually over the border in the borough of Runnymede in Surrey. ... Hampton Court redirects here. ... Three buildings at Kew, which is now a western suburb of London, have been known as Kew Palace. ... The south face of Linlithgow Palace Linlithgow Palace from the east North and west faces of Linlithgow Palace The ruins of Linlithgow Palace are situated in the town of Linlithgow, West Lothian, Scotland, 15 miles west of Edinburgh. ... Marlborough House, London Marlborough House is a mansion in Westminster, London. ... The Castle of Mey (formerly Barrogill Castle) is in dramatic situation on the north coast of Scotland, about 6 miles west of John OGroats. ... Nonsuch Palace was a Tudor royal palace that was built by Henry VIII in Surrey, on the location of Cuddington, near Epsom (the church and village of Cuddington were destroyed to create the plot for the palace). ... Osborne House and its grounds are now open to the public Osborne House is a former royal residence in East Cowes, Isle of Wight, UK. // History The house was built between 1845 and 1851 for Queen Victoria and Prince Albert. ... It has been suggested that this article or section be merged with Greenwich Palace. ... The Queens House, Greenwich The Queens House, Greenwich, was designed and begun in 1616-1617 by architect Inigo Jones for Anne of Denmark (the queen of King James I of England) and completed, also by Jones, about 1635 for Queen Henrietta Maria, wife of King Charles I. The... A royal residence 1327-1649, on The Green, Richmond-upon-Thames, Surrey. ... Brighton Pavilion redirects here. ... The Savoy Palace was considered the grandest noblemans residence of medieval London, until it was destroyed in the uprising of 1381. ... For other uses, see Tower of London (disambiguation) Her Majestys Royal Palace and Fortress The Tower of London, more commonly known as the Tower of London (and historically simply as The Tower), is an historic monument in central London, England on the north bank of the River Thames. ... “Houses of Parliament” redirects here. ... The Palace of Whitehall by Hendrick Danckerts. ... Woodstock Palace was a royal residence in the Oxfordshire town of Woodstock. ... Map of Earth showing lines of latitude (horizontally) and longitude (vertically), Eckert VI projection; large version (pdf, 1. ...