Homes SWEET HOMES
THE queen had a home for practically every occasion. There was Windsor for Easter, which also later became her base, Balmoral for summer, Sandringham for Christmas and Buckingham Palace for work. Each home held significance for Her Majesty and comes with a rich history.
BALMORAL CASTLE
Balmoral was purchased by Prince Albert for his wife, Queen Victoria, in 1852 and has been the Scottish home of the royal family ever since. It’s where the queen took her last breath.
The castle is in Royal Deeside in Aberdeenshire near the village of Crathie and 80km west of Aberdeen in Scotland.
Soon after buying the property, Albert and Victoria decided to construct a new building as the old one was considered small. Architect William Smith was commissioned to design and oversee the structure and the old building was demolished in 1856 and commemorated with a stone on the property.
After Victoria’s death in 1901, the estate passed to her son, King Edward VII, and from him to each of his successors.
Balmoral has been the favourite home of successive generations of the royal family and has remained largely unchanged since Victoria’s reign. Each year without
