When Queen Elizabeth died at Balmoral Castle in Aberdeenshire on 8 September 2022, much was made about the location. Not since Scotland was an independent kingdom had any monarch of Great Britain died north of the border. Another footnote to history is that Balmoral is where Winston Churchill first became acquainted with the young princess who would become the UK’s longest reigning monarch. Even then, Churchill was no stranger to the castle.
British prime ministers have had a varied history with Balmoral. In the final days of her life, Queen Elizabeth welcomed Liz Truss to the castle and invited her to form a government; she would become her last prime minister. Usually, such meetings take place at Buckingham Palace, and some media outlets incorrectly reported that Balmoral had never before witnessed such a ceremony. In fact, in 1885 during the reign of Queen Victoria, the 3rd marquess of Salisbury accepted a commission at Balmoral to form a government, although the new prime minister subsequently ‘kissed hands’ with the queen at Windsor.
Balmoral has been the Scottish home of the royal family since it was purchased for Queen Victoria by Prince
