Throughout her 70 years on the throne, Her Majesty The Queen has appointed more than a dozen prime ministers.
Typically, those ceremonies take place at Buckingham Palace. Instead, Prime Minister Liz Truss was appointed at Balmoral Castle in Scotland, where The Queen is spending the summer.
Truss will be the 15th head of government since The Queen took the throne in 1952. Although, she is not the first incoming prime minister to travel out of London to be appointed. In 1908, Herbert H. Asquith took a night boat to France to meet King Edward VII in the seaside city of Biarritz. At the time, the King was on a trip.
Typically, the Prime Minister is invited to stay at the Scottish residence for a short period. This period is often dubbed “the Balmoral Test” and is considered a form of royal initiation. Unlike Buckingham Palace or Windsor Castle, Balmoral is The Queen’s private residence. Once someone visits the castle, that person is considered to have entered Her Majesty’s space and whatever she does, goes.
Royal biographer Andrew Morton said in his book, “Diana: Her True Story – In Her Own Words“: “Ever since Queen Victoria bought the estate in 1848, it has had a special place in the affections of the Royal Family.
“However, the very quirks and obscure family traditions which have accrued over the years can intimidate newcomers. ‘Don’t sit there’ they chorus at an unfortunate guest foolish enough to try and sit in a chair in the drawing room, which Queen Victoria last used. Those who successfully navigate this social minefield, popularly known as the Balmoral test, are accepted by the Royal Family.”
Every prime minister is expected to visit annually. Although, one prime minister famously made her thoughts on Balmoral well known. It’s believed Margaret Thatcher had referred to Balmoral as “purgatory.” Her visit to the home is depicted in an episode of Netflix’s “The Crown.”
It is also believed Diana, Princess of Wales, had a similar “test” when she dated the Prince of Wales in the 1980s.
