Balmoral Castle: The Scottish home loved by the Queen

The Queen and Prince Philip at Balmoral for their silver wedding anniversary in 1972

The Queen's love of her home in Balmoral in Royal Deeside was well known.

She spent most summers at the 50,000-acre country estate in Aberdeenshire, usually with her beloved husband Philip and family by her side.

Surrounded by countryside, Balmoral Castle is where she spent many a happy holiday - from visiting with her grandparents King George V and Queen Mary as a small child, to the final months of her life.

The Queen and Prince Philip with children Princess Anne, Prince Andrew and Prince Charles (left to right) in the grounds of Balmoral in 1960

She hosted numerous royal garden parties there and enjoyed watching events at the nearby Braemar Highland Games with other members of the Royal Family.

She spent much of Prince Philip's last years with him at Balmoral - they remained there together during lockdown and spent their 73rd wedding anniversary there in November 2020.

Balmoral has been one of the residences of the British Royal Family since 1852, when the estate and its original castle were bought from the Farquharson family by Prince Albert, Queen Victoria's husband. The house was then found to be too small and the current Balmoral Castle was commissioned.

Balmoral Castle has been a residence of the Royal Family since 1852

The castle itself is an example of Scottish baronial architecture, and is classified by Historic Environment Scotland as a category A listed building. The new castle was completed in 1856 and the old castle demolished shortly afterwards.

It remains private property of the Queen and is not part of the Crown Estate.

It is a working estate, including grouse moors, forestry and farmland, as well as managed herds of deer, Highland cattle, and ponies.

The Royal Family were at Balmoral when Princess Diana died on 31 August 1997 and it initially became the focus of the aftermath.

After attending a private service at Crathie Church, the Queen and the Royal Family stop to look at floral tributes left for Princess Diana, at the gates of Balmoral Castle, in September 1997

The Sunday morning after her death, the Queen and Princes Charles, William and Harry attended a church service at nearby Crathie Kirk.

On their way home they viewed the floral tributes and messages left by the public.

Here are some more images of the Queen and her family at Balmoral over the years:

Princess Elizabeth with her grandparents King George V and Queen Mary on the way back to Balmoral after attending church at nearby Crathie in September 1932

The Royal Family during a visit to Balmoral Castle in 1951, Princess Elizabeth is with her children Prince Charles (left) and Princess Anne

Queen Elizabeth II with her children Charles (right) and Anne, posing in Balmoral in 1952

The Queen plays with Prince Charles and Princess Anne at the castle windows in 1952

The Queen watches her son Prince Charles driving in a toy car on the grounds of Balmoral Castle

President Eisenhower with the Queen and Prince Philip at Balmoral Castle in September 1959

Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip in a field with Highland cattle at Balmoral in 1972

The Queen at the writing desk in her study at Balmoral in 1972

The Queen and Prince Philip in the study at Balmoral in 1976

Queen Elizabeth and the Duke of Edinburgh with theirs three sons, Edward, Charles and Andrew for their 32nd wedding anniversary at Balmoral on 20 November 1979

The Queen and Prince Philip on holiday at Balmoral Castle in 2005

The Queen and members of the Royal Family break into laughter as they watch the tug-of-war during the Braemar Gathering in 2006

The Queen attends a garden party at Balmoral Castle in 2012

The Queen signs a message at Balmoral that was carried in the Commonwealth baton ahead of the Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth Games

The Queen arrives at Crathie Kirk with the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge in August 2019

The Queen inspects the Balaklava Company, 5 Battalion The Royal Regiment of Scotland at the gates at Balmoral, as she takes up summer residence at the castle in August 2021

Children from Crathie Primary School present the Queen with a card at the Balmoral Estate's cricket pavilion in October 2021

Queen Elizabeth receiving the new prime minister, Liz Truss, in the drawing room at Balmoral on Tuesday

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