King Charles is reportedly considering turning Balmoral Castle into a museum to honour his late mother, Queen Elizabeth II.
The Scottish Castle is said to have been her Late Majesty’s favourite residence. The monarch considered it to be her holiday home, and died at the castle on 8 September 2022. The property spreads across 50,000 acres and is estimated to be worth around £120m.
The castle is the private property of the monarch, and is not part of the Crown Estate. It’s believed that the King wishes to open the castle up as a way to modernise the monarchy and cut down on expenses. Any museum would focus on Britain’s longest-reigning monarch and showcase some of her outfits and jewellery. If the speculation holds true, the museum is expected to open next summer.
This wouldn’t be the first time the King has taken charge of a royal property. He has been busy restoring the Castle of Mey in Caithness, the home of Queen Elizabeth, The Queen Mother, and now plans to do something similar to Balmoral.
It was on the grounds of Balmoral where Prince Philip proposed to the future Queen back in 1946. They would spend half of their honeymoon on the estate. Following her ascension in 1952, the estate became a home for the royals summer holiday between July and October. Her late Majesty would perform her last major royal duty at the royal estate when she appointed Liz Truss to the office of Prime Minister just two days before her death.
One slight problem in opening up Balmoral as a museum is the remoteness of the residence. Deep in the rural Aberdeenshire countryside, the nearest airport is 40 miles away, and the nearest mainline railway station is 48 miles away in Pitlochry.
