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Palaces & Buildings

Balmoral Castle to play host to BBC show Antiques Roadshow

It may be the summer residence of Her Majesty The Queen, but Balmoral Castle will open its doors to a whole new audience at the end of July as it plays host to the popular BBC programme, Antiques Roadshow. People are invited to visit The Queen’s summer retreat near Ballater on Thursday 30th July.

Balmoral Castle will welcome the BBC's Antiques Roadshow on July 30th.

Balmoral Castle will welcome the BBC’s Antiques Roadshow on July 30th.

Since being purchased by Prince Albert in 1842 as a gift for Queen Victoria, Balmoral Castle has been the Scottish home of the Royal Family. Under the terms of Queen Victoria’s will, when she died in 1901 Balmoral Castle passed on to King Edward VII and from him to each of his successors.

Some of Britain’s leading antique and fine art experts will be at Balmoral Castle on 30th July to offer free advice and valuations to visitors who are invited to raid their attics, garages and cupboards and bring along their family heirlooms, household treasures and unwanted bargains for inspection by the Antiques Roadshow experts.

The Antiques Roadshow is a BBC television programme that began in 1979 and sees a team of antiques experts travel to various parts of the United Kingdom to value and critique antiques/art brought in by local people. The episode at Balmoral Castle wont be the first time that the Antiques Roadshow has been filmed at a place with royal connections. In 2004 the show was filmed at Hampton Court Palace, in 2007 it was filmed at The Queen Mother’s Scottish retreat The Castle of Mey whilst in 2012 there was a Diamond Jubilee special of the hit BBC show.

Although Balmoral Castle remains largely the same as it was in the reign of Queen Victoria, its succession of royal owners have taken heed of Prince Albert’s actions in making improvements to the estate with The Queen, Prince Philip and The Prince of Wales taking a close and personal interest in the running and improving of the estate.

Those wishing to be a part of the bonanza at Balmoral are advised that doors open at 9:30am and close at 4:30pm and that the regular admission fee will be waived on the day. Entry to the show is free and pre-registration is not required.

Being the time of her annual summer visit to Balmoral, it is unknown whether The Queen will be in residence at the time of filming though if she is, one assumes that would be an episode of the Antiques Roadshow that would go down in the history books!

Photo Credit: neil roger