Queen Victoria’s Secret Scottish Sex Castle - The Daily Beast HEDONISM AND HISTORY Queen Victoria’s Secret Scottish Sex Castle Scotland will vote on whether to stay in the U.K. next month, but there’s no getting rid of the Scottish blood in the Royal Family thanks to Queen Elizabeth’s lusty great great grandmother. Clive Irving 08.17.14 9:55 AM ET Queen Elizabeth will be 90 in 2016, and one of the things that seems to keep her rolling – indeed, she visibly brightens at the prospect – is spending time in Scotland. She loves her Scottish estate at Balmoral where she is now, as she is every year in August and September. But this year being in Scotland presents one of the trickiest problems of her reign. On September 18 the Scots will vote on whether or not to remain in the United Kingdom. How the Queen feels about this remains one of the many secrets that she conceals behind her well-practiced inscrutability.

She knows that if the vote goes in favor of an independent Scotland she won’t be banished from the land – the nationalists have said they want their country to remain a monarchy for as long as the people wish, and she would remain head of state, as she is still, at least nominally, in Canada, Australia and New Zealand. It’s a fair bet, though, that the Queen doesn’t want to see her kingdom dismembered. She herself represents a congenial mingling of English and Scottish blood. Her mother was the daughter of a Scottish noble, Lord Glamis, descended from one of the royal houses of Scotland. In fact, as Lady Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon the Queen’s mother was the first woman to marry into the royal family who wasn’t from one of the numerous and incestuous branches of the European royal tree. The spell of Scotland and of Balmoral on the royal family began with Queen Victoria. It had a lot to do with prevailing medical opinion that bracing climates were essential to good health. Victoria’s personal physician was a Scot who believed that there was no tonic to equal the air of the Scottish Highlands, possibly reinforced by “a wee dram” of Scottish whisky.

Thus encouraged, in 1847 Victoria bought Balmoral, which she described as “a pretty little castle” with 17,400 acres. Scotland soon worked its magic: “All seemed to breed freedom and peace,” the Queen wrote of her estate, and it was “wonderful not seeing a single human being, not hearing a sound excepting that of the wind, or the call of the blackcock or grouse.” Two years later Victoria had the house demolished and, after adding another 6,000 acres, in its place built the house that the present Queen so adores. It was designed, with help from an architect and builder, by her consort Prince Albert. Sniffy visitors from London dismissed it for its cascade of Scottish kitsch: tartan drapes, tartan chair covers, tartan wallpaper and tartan carpets. But this was to Victoria’s taste and heart -- her “dearest Albert’s own creation.” Here we approach, ahem, delicate ground. Albert was a serious polymath of his day, engaged in the promotion of British technical innovation and industry, as well as practicing architecture and landscaping. He was also a terrific stud.

Between 1840 and 1851 Victoria had produced seven of the nine children she would bear. A common double entendre circulating at the time was to praise the Prince’s “great industry.” Victoria’s own libido was, it turns out, just as vigorous. Obviously the idea of the randy Queen ran counter to the supposed moral constraints of the age named after her, and it’s only recently, thanks to newly discovered letters (one for example referring to “heavenly lovemaking”) that Victoria’s secret has finally been documented. There is also a ravishing portrait of the young Victoria in 1843, given to her by Albert, and later buried in the extensive royal art collection, showing her almost post-orgasmic, bare-shouldered, silken haired and with bedroom eyes, that was discovered and disclosed in 2011 by the BBC. Now, diligent research has more or less completed the counter-intuitive picture of Victoria as a spirited lover by confirming that she had Albert equip their bedroom door with a lock to prevent the unwanted approach of children.

(Victoria was a distant mother.) Balmoral provided both a level of privacy unavailable at her other residences and a climate that clearly acted as a super stimulant. Scotland for her must have been the location of many treasured moments of intimacy. It also became the place that initiated an extraordinary sexual scandal surrounding the widowed Victoria, the truth of which would have to be teased out from more than a century of officially authorized hagiography and concealment. Victoria’s grief at the premature death of Albert from typhoid in 1861 was as intense as her passion for him when alive – she became the epitome of the inconsolable widow perpetually in black and invariably sour in temperament. That is, until a rough-tongued Scotsman rekindled the flame. John Brown began working at Balmoral as a stableboy. He was almost a caricature of the Scottish virtues: iron in frame, unflinching in gaze and totally manned-up by a warrior’s beard. Alone among the servants he had no time for sycophancy or subservience.

Albert valued these impertinent qualities and trusted Brown to be the Queen’s vigilant protector – and she liked the way he performed, in her own words, “the offices of groom, footman, page and maid, I might almost say, as he is so handy about cloaks and shawls.” By the late 1860s Brown’s personal care of the widow was a source of fevered gossip. Members of the royal household referred to him as “the Queen’s stallion.” Victoria took increasingly prolonged absences at Balmoral. Frequently, Brown would go with her from the sprawling main house to a small house in the hills. Although her ladies-in-waiting went too, they were confined to a separate corner of the house while Brown had a bedroom next to the Queen’s. At Buckingham Palace the Queen’s attachment to Brown was a problem that her courtiers were ill-equipped to manage. To them, Her Imperial Majesty and Queen Empress was behaving in a manner unbecoming. The courtiers were an effete and in some cases epicene crew. Their advice was frequently ignored. The Queen trusted Brown, not them.

When she died at the age of 81 in January 1901, a photograph of Brown, together with a lock of his hair, was – on her instructions – placed in her left hand as she lay in her coffin. But then the courtiers and her son Edward, the new King Edward VIII (himself a notoriously debauched figure), began cleaning up. Some of Victoria’s journals were burned. Her letters were combed and purged. Twenty years later a cache of more than 300 letters Victoria wrote about Brown to one of her doctors at Balmoral, many of them said to be “most compromising” by someone who read them, was discovered and bought by the royal family, and never seen again. Get The Beast In Your Inbox! Daily DigestStart and finish your day with the top stories from The Daily Beast. Cheat SheetA speedy, smart summary of all the news you need to know (and nothing you don't).

Balmoral Castle: The Queen Mother and Royal Family's Retreat in Scotland - ABC News ABC News Balmoral: The Queen Mother's Home Away From Buckingham By KATE SNOW Email Nestled in the green Scottish countryside, Balmoral Castle towers over the surrounding evergreens and open courtyards, a relic of a grander era, invoking daydreams of Cinderella or King Arthur. But rather than knights or dragons, it was not too long ago that a passerby might catch a glimpse of the 90-something Queen Mother Elizabeth, waist deep in a river, fishing in waders. It was at Balmoral that the queen would take a reprieve from the pressure of leading the strongest family in the United Kingdom and fishing was just one of her passions. "Now it's one place where the royal family can all relax together and be a family and go on picnics together, go fishing together, have barbecue's together, and free from the interference from the outside world," William Shawcross who penned the new official royal biography, "The Queen Mother," told ABC News.

Play null Granted unprecedented access to royal documents, including her private letters, Shawcross' behind-the-scenes research spanned the Queen Mother's 101-year life and captured a side of the royal rarely seen except by those who knew her best. Secrets about Balmoral's friendly, intimate gatherings and how the queen left her mark -- she was the one to invite a younger crowd of friends than ever into the house -- are just a fraction of the royal life revealed in Shawcross' biography, which hits bookshelves in the U.S. next week. "She had from childhood and extraordinary bubbly, effervescent, joyful personality. And one of the wonderful things for me as her biographer was to read her letters from age 10 to 100 because they all overflowed with jubilant love of life," Shawcross said. SLIDESHOW: Behind the Scenes at Balmoral Castle 'Lot of Mischief' in Queen Mother's Childhood Elizabeth Bowes Lyon never expected to be the queen, but when she was crowned, Scotland rejoiced. For the first time since the 17th century, one of their own had become part of the British monarchy.

Born into Scottish nobility as the ninth of ten children, the future queen was raised in several grand homes, including the famous -- some say haunted -- Glamis Castle. "She had from childhood an extraordinary bubbly, effervescent, joyful personality," Shawcross said. According to Glamis Castle's current manager, Gil Crawford, early stories about the future queen tell of "a lot of mischief in the early years." The Reluctant Royal Takes the Throne As a teenager during World War I, Elizabeth learned some hard lessons at the castle when it became a home for wounded soldiers. "Those four years of getting to know men from all walks of life gave her an experience of relating to people which she wouldn't have had if she'd grown up in the royal family," Shawcross said. She wasn't anxious to marry into the royal family. Prince Albert proposed three times before she said yes. But their love shines through in letters she wrote during their engagement. "My dear darling, I'm just writing you a very little letter," Shawcross read from one of their correspondences. "I should be thinking about you when you get this, and hoping that everything will go off wonderfully well. I'm sure it will.

Also, I might add that I do love you, Bertie, and feel certain that I shall more and more. I shall miss you terribly. You are such an angel to me." "They grew together in the most beautiful way," Shawcross said. Albert was not in line to become king. Instead, his brother David was. But David famously fell in love with American divorcee Wallace Simpson and gave up his title to marry her. David's abdication meant Albert was in line to be king and Elizabeth to be queen. "He [Albert] didn't feel equipped for it, and quite frankly, if he hadn't been married to Elizabeth, he would have found the job almost impossible, because she gave him strength and such confidence," Shawcross said. When Albert, then known as King George, died at 56 years old in 1952, the Queen Mother settled into a new life as a widow. "The death of the king in 1952 was a catastrophe for the queen," Shawcross said.

"She was only 51 herself, and as it happened, she lived another half of her life -- another 50 years -- as a widow." Throughout the rest of her life, she spent months at a time at Balmoral -- a place she felt connected to. "She loved the country. She enjoyed walking a lot. She enjoyed fishing, and later in life, she was fishing in waders, right up into her 90s," Shawcross said. Being at Balmoral wasn't just good for the queen, it was good for the kingdom, Shawcross said. "I think the fact that the royal family loved Scotland so much, since the early part of Queen Victoria's reign, has had a very important effect on the unity of Scotland and England. The royal family's love of Scotland has helped keep those parts of the kingdom together," Shawcross said. At a nearby neighborhood pub, patrons remember the queen interacting with people in the town when she came in for shopping or to visit the butcher. "You don't expect people like that will talk to commoners, but she did," one patron told "Good Morning America." "She earned a lot of respect," said another.

More than respect, Shawcross said Elizabeth earned the love of her people and carried on the royal tradition -- the one that dates back to the times of knights and damsels in distress. "She was dependable and loyal and utterly reliable," Shawcross said. "She represented that sense of the golden thread of history, in a marvelous way." ABC News' Lee Ferran contributed to this report. The Royal Residences of Britain The Royal Residences of Britain Tuesday, May 5th, 2015 · By travelmaestro · Comments (0) Earlier this week, the British Royal Family grew in number by one tiny princess with a big title: Her Royal Highness Charlotte Elizabeth Diana of Cambridge. Princess Charlotte, born to Britain’s Prince William and Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge, is fourth in line to the British throne and will grow up in a rarified atmosphere of opulent palaces and castles. Although the newest Royal will live a privileged lifestyle that few of us will ever know, many of the lavish royal residences in Britain are actually open to the public so we can take a peek into the royal experience, if only for a short time. Kings Stairway in Kensington Palace.

Photo credit: Matt Brown Kensington Palace – Royal Residence of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge Princess Charlotte’s first home is Kensington Palace in London. Kensington Palace became a royal palace in 1689 when King William and Queen Mary jointly took the throne. Queen Victoria grew up there and Princess Diana, Charlotte’s grandmother, lived there after her divorce from Prince Charles. Kensington Palace is also currently the home of Charlotte’s gregarious uncle, Prince Harry. The public can visit the grand chambers of the King’s and Queen’s State Apartments (fee) where William and Mary entertained and relaxed. The spectacular 18th-century murals of the King’s staircase are a must see. Changing exhibitions in the palace highlight royal themes such as Queen Victoria or the dresses of Princess Diana. Outside, the large and lovely palace gardens include the Round Pond, Sunken Gardens and Cradle Walk – all open to the public free of charge and a relaxing place for a picnic. Buckingham Palace. Photo credit: Chris Favero Buckingham Palace – Royal Residence to The Queen and Duke of Edinburgh The official London residence of little Charlotte’s great-grandmother, Her Royal Highness Queen Elizabeth, is Buckingham Palace .

It is massive in size with 775 rooms, including 52 Royal and guest bedrooms, 188 staff bedrooms, 92 offices and 78 bathrooms. Only 19 resplendent state rooms including the Throne Room, Ballroom and the State Dining Room are open for public visits (fee) August – September when The Queen is not in residence. Travel Maestro tip: When The Queen is in residence, the Royal Standard flies over Buckingham Palace. When the Sovereign is not present, the Union Flag flies instead. Also at Buckingham Palace, The Queen’s Gallery (fee) features rotating exhibitions of art, furnishings, jewelry and manuscripts from the royal collection. The Royal Mews (fee) is one of the world’s finest examples of a working stable. In addition to the 30 or so carriage horses housed there, visitors can see a permanent display of state vehicles, including the magnificent Golden State Coach. Travel Maestro tip: The ‘Royal Day Out’ ticket offers a slight discount on admission to all three Buckingham Palace entrances in one day. Changing of the Guards at Buckingham Palace. Photo credit: Laszlo Ilyes The changing of the guard is a famous ritual at Buckingham Palace full of military pomp and grandeur.

It takes place daily at 11:30 a.m. May – July and every other day the remainder of the year. Travel Maestro tip: There is no fee, but you’ll want to arrive early for good viewing. Sandringham House – A Regal Country Estate Princess Charlotte’s first couple months will be spent in the country at Anmer Hall, a private 10-bedroom home on the queen’s Sandringham Estate in Norfolk, England. The Royal Family often spends Christmas at Sandringham as well, and The Queen resides there from Christmas until February. Other than when the royals are in residence, the public can tour most of the rooms of the house, but even when the house and gardens are closed to the public, a museum in the old stables, the estate’s church, 240 acres of woodlands and trails are open for visiting. Balmoral Castle. Photo credit: Iain Middleton-Duff Balmoral Castle – A Favorite Royal Residence During the summer, if Princess Charlotte wants to visit her great-grandmother, she’ll find her in the highlands of Scotland at Balmoral Castle , Queen Elizabeth’s favorite retreat.

It is a hunting lodge, bought for Queen Victoria by her husband Prince Albert in 1852. From mid-August through September while The Queen is in residence, it is unavailable to visitors, but other times tours that include only the Ballroom of the Castle, the gardens and stables are offered (fee). Any strange stories about Balmoral Castle? - David Icke's Official Forums Any strange stories about Balmoral Castle? User Name Any strange stories about Balmoral Castle? I was doing a google search and was trying to find dirt on Balmoral Castle. Can anyone here relate unusal stories or reports about Balmoral Castle please? Posts: 4,285 Likes: 1 (1 Post) not sure which of the homes it ws but there is a story about a secret room and a hidden royal child that work men discovered a long time back . Perhaps someone can shed some light on this ?

__________________ Tell the Truth and Shame The Devil we are the ones we have been waiting for 100 monkeys cant be wrong Posts: 3,589 Likes: 0 (0 Posts) victoria and albert used to rent it from the duke of fife before buying it using cash she got from John Camden Nield who fancied her the cash was left in his will to her , she bought balmoral and its five cottages with the cash and elizebeth still rents the cottages out today when shes not in residence and the police are using them . she recieved the equivelant of £24 million (then £500,000)inheritance and paid £31,300 whatever that is in todays money ive no idea . Last edited by sannox; 10-08-2009 at 08:56 PM. Posts: 247 Likes: 0 (0 Posts) Class War ran some great stuff in the 1980s about the beast of Glamis Castle, after it was revealed the Queen's cousin, Catherine Bowes Lyon had been shut away in a mental hospital for 46 years.

It is believed another royal was shut away in Glamis Castle all their life...... Posts: 4,955 Likes: 1 (1 Post) Pedophilia, human sacrifice rituals and depraved satanic orgies and rapes. This is just a bit of Summer fun for the royals and their buddies. Originally Posted by paulstott It is believed another royal was shut away in Glamis Castle all their life...... I read a book a few years ago that covered this. It related back to the Duke of Clarence and Jack the Ripper. The duke had secretly but legitimately, married a catholic, and had a son by her. The duke was heir presumptive to the throne (what William is now), so that meant a catholic was third in line to the throne. This was completely unacceptable to the protestant power structure - the Ripper killings were about finding and killing the mother, and it was made clear to Queen Mary that Clarence was not going to be allowed to be King. A compromise was reached. Clarence was announced dead, then went to live in a secret wing of the Glamis castle, where he continued to live for many years as a recluse.

The other side of the deal was that if Glamis had a daughter, she would be made queen. Hence, when Elizabeth Bose-Lyons was born, all the staff addressed her as 'princess' throughout her childhood. She was raised to be queen, even though she was nowhere near the succession. Subsequently, the Prince of Wales (later Duke of Windsor) was presented with this frumpy provincial with bad teeth as his future bride, and the prince, who was what we would now call a playboy, running round screwing every pretty debutante on sight, refused. This caused a major crisis, because the royal family had made the pledge to Glamis. So they married her to the idiot younger brother, then engineered the abdication, thus making Bose-Lyons queen. This also coincided with the establishment of the Royal Arch Lodge inside Buckingham Palace, and signalled the placing of the entire royal structure within freemasonry. It's been a few years since I read the book, and am a bit hazy on some of the detail, but it did make a good case. There was the curious anomaly of Clarence's death being announced in the Times, then withdrawn as he was still alive!

The book also had a picture that it claimed was of Clarence in his 50s, sitting at an easel in his private seclusion. . Aliens above Balmoral castle? Read this: From George Filer’s Nov. 8, 2006 report (National UFO Center): “RAF jets sent up to investigate an unearthly visitor at Balmoral Castle in 1996 were unable to shoot down the spacecraft. A red UFO similar to the one that chased Prince Charles' plane in 1986 on a flight from the United States was observed a week later by eyewitnesses over Windsor Castle. “Prince William is the newest member of the Royal Family to become obsessed with researching space aliens, keeping alive a family precedent started in the 1950's by his grandfather, Prince Philip, a serious UFO believer, and continued by William's father, Prince Charles, whose airplane was buzzed by a mysterious UFO in 1986, raising many royal eyebrows. Prince William, the young heir to the British throne and Princess Diana's oldest son, is said to be star struck by Michael C.

Luckman's controversial book, "Alien Rock: The Rock 'n' Roll Extraterrestrial Connection" featuring many rock stars. Prince Philip has been an avid reader of Flying Saucer Review, a highly respected UFO magazine, since the 1950's. “According to private visitors, Prince Philip kept a map on his office wall in Buckingham Palace indicating UFO hot spots. But it was a face to face encounter that Prince Philip's equerry reportedly had with a space alien named "Janus" that caused by far the biggest royal uproar. Air Marshall Peter Horsley, an intimate adviser to Queen Elizabeth, said that in 1954 he met a visitor from another galaxy and spoke to him for hours about space travel, and the possible role of Prince Philip in curing the environment.. The former RAF chief published his startling book, "Sounds From Another Room." “ So, that’s a ufo over the Queen’s Windsor Castle in 1986, plus Prince Charles' plane (or helicopter) chased by a similar ufo, indicating direct alien interest in the royals. The Balmoral castle, where a ufo reportedly hovered in 1996 prolongedly, is the Queen's summer palace.

It's located about 150 miles north-northeast of the Bonnybridge triangle, site of hundreds of alien sightings in recent years (also located near large water supplies, which may be why aliens were there?) So, let's think back to 1996. Why would aliens hover right above the Queen and Prince Phillip's favorite summer residence? Isn't that like hovering over the White House? A formation of disks did fly over the White House in July of 1952, only months before the Rockefeller coup that removed US presidents from direct control of alien-related programs. Roswell had happened five years earlier, and Harry Truman must have sat, red-faced, while a foreign power buzzed his nation's capital. But Truman would soon be out, Ike in, and Eisenhower let Nelson Rockefeller take effective control of reverse-engineered technology programs. In short, the US was new to alien technology and soon proved weak and ineffective at preventing distortion of internal US policies by an alien presence. But alien craft over Balmoral palace occurred in 1996, 44 years later when the TR-3B and other advanced craft, plus reported gravitic helicopters were aired by the US/Echelon nations, presumably.

So why would aliens be so direct at that late date? It could have been a sort of "command performance," an appearance for Phillip and his Queen. We know that Prince Phillip's ego is distorted and potentially dangerous. Being a prince in a time when monarchy is far outdated and socially destructive, Phillip may have felt that an appearance above his palace somehow justified his weird costumes and epulets. The real question is whether contacts were involved. Ironically, 1996 was a time when aliens were becoming a mainstream internet subject, only months before the June 10, 1997 date when Pulitzer Prize-winning LA Times editor Phillip Krapf was reportedly directly contacted as part of a diplomatic opening by the so-called "gray" aliens' alignment (gray aliens with almond shaped eyes who, abductees say, are involved in an abduction and breeding program that targets humans for some reason). Krapf wrote while fully conscious onboard a large aliens ship he saw names and photos of 800 prominent humans contacted as part of the alien opening that he was asked to write about.

In other words, in the summer of '97 Krapf saw a long list of people who'd been contacted during 1996-7, apparently. Prince Phillip would have been an easy approach for such aliens in 1996, given his distorted ego and excess drinking. Let's explore what, if any, relationship there might have been with the Queen and Phillip. Given the Queen's role as a titular head of state, she wouldn't have been as likely a candidate for approach. She's obviously more balanced and subtle than Phillip. But Phillip was ripe for approach. His kin, Mountbatten, had recently been killed by an IRA bomb attached to his yacht, underwater, and Prince Phillip was likely eager to pose himself as more formidable, especially if, as Krapf reports, a larger pattern of direct contacts was in the offing. ***In my (free to read) book Alien Mind, I report one hyper-advanced alien's (telepathically communicated) comment that Prince Phillip was, in some way, direct operative in their scheme. *See echoes some of David Icke's same themes.

Among aliens telepathy is the norm, not the exception, so I have no qualms about reporting what was clearly an advanced, highly intelligent alien's remark about Prince Phillip (an alien far more intelligent than I am, of course). My book explains the science and the methods for such telepathy/remote sensing. As for how a relationship with Phillip may have been arranged, or considered, I can't say. Given Phillip's close ties to another reported direct operative family, the Rothschilds (again, reported by the same advanced aliens), I wasn't surprised to hear the report. In a public opionion poll 80 percent of the British public said they suspected that Prince Phillip conspired, as Princess Diana warned, to have her murdered in a car crash. From the perspective of Phillip's close, life-long ties to Lord Jacob Rothschild, Di's marriage to a Moslem might have brought unusual attention to the royal family. Direct witnesses reported seeing Diana's Mercedes Benz targeted with an unusually bright, hand-held light device that may have blinded Diana's driver. But you probably know that story better than I do (I live in California). That alien report aside, we see a pattern that invites further discussion.

An alien craft hovering directly over the summer residence of a titular head of state circa a reportedly large, direct alien diplomatic overture said to involve people from a variety of nations. All evidence is circumstantial, but the picture that emerges is unusual, given the timing. Balmoral Castle: Vacationing with the queen - CNN.com Balmoral Castle: Vacationing with the queen By Jill O'Brien, CNN Updated 2:32 PM ET, Tue August 6, 2013 Chat with us in Facebook Messenger. Find out what's happening in the world as it unfolds. Photos: Balmoral Estate – The Royal Standard flies from the turrets of Balmoral Castle in Ballater, Scotland, when the Queen is in residence. Cottages on Balmoral Estate are available for rent to regular vacationers. Hide Caption 1 of 8 Photos: Balmoral Estate – The Connachat Cottage is located about three miles west of the Castle and sleeps up to eight guests. Hide Caption 2 of 8 Photos: Balmoral Estate – The 50,000-acre estate employs about 50 full-time workers and 50 to 100 part-time workers.

About 85,000 people visit the castle and gardens each year, according to the British Monarchy's website . Hide Caption 3 of 8 Photos: Balmoral Estate – About 100 hectares are farmed by the estate and other parcels are let to neighboring farmers. Hide Caption 4 of 8 Photos: Balmoral Estate – The Garbh Allt Shiel rental cottage is in the Ballochbuie Forest, about five miles west of the castle. Deer are frequent visitors to the open ground around the cottage. Hide Caption 5 of 8 Photos: Balmoral Estate – The Prince of Wales, left, and his sons Prince William, right, and Prince Harry stand above the Falls of Muick at Balmoral in 1997. Hide Caption 6 of 8 Photos: Balmoral Estate – In this September 1960 photo, Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh pose on the lawn at Balmoral with their children, Prince Andrew, center, Princess Anne, left, and Charles, Prince of Wales.

Hide Caption 7 of 8 Photos: Balmoral Estate – Queen Elizabeth II walks cross country on the grounds of Balmoral Castle in this October 1967 photo. Hide Caption Cottages on the grounds of Balmoral Castle are available to the public for rent The royal estate in the Scottish highlands is a favorite retreat of Queen Elizabeth II Sightings of the royal family are possible for visitors to the estate The cozy cottages are more rustic than the royal digs As the world watched and waited for little Prince George to make his royal way into the world in London, Queen Elizabeth II was among those wishing the baby would hurry up. The reason? "I'm going on holiday," the queen said days before the Duchess of Cambridge gave birth to the future king on July 22. Thankfully, Prince George was born just in time for the queen to begin her official holiday last week at the royal family's Scottish retreat, Balmoral Castle. The queen and members of the royal family will spend the next two months at her 50,000-acre estate in the Scottish highlands.

The castle was originally built by Queen Victoria and by all accounts of both historians and those who work on the estate, it holds a very special place in the queen's heart. That's likely because it offers her a level of privacy that she cannot find anywhere else. Every year at this time she travels to the heart of the Cairngorms National Park in Royal Deeside, just outside the small town of Ballater. Here, behind large metal gates that keep the public outside for most of the royal family's visit, she has the privacy to stroll with her corgis around the gardens, catch up on correspondence at her Honka Hut (a pine summer cottage that was a gift from the Finnish government and is one of the queen's favorite spots on the estate), go fly fishing on the river Dee, or take in a round of golf on her private course. But here's a secret that few people seem to know: You can have the same vacation. I'm not talking about visiting the estate for the day , as many people do when it's open to the public. Nope, you can move in. Settle down in one of five cottages on the estate , and you'll have access to everything that makes Balmoral so special.

I speak from experience, having just returned from two weeks in one of the Colt Cottages. It wasn't my first visit to the castle; I've visited every year since I first learned about the holiday cottages four years ago. While the Colt Cottages are the smallest cottages available to rent, they are my favorite because of their close proximity to the castle -- just a couple hundred yards away. If you are looking for more room, there are larger cottages to choose from, all rented on a weekly basis. The modest Colt Cottages are located on the castle grounds and sleep up to five guests. The largest cottage is Alltnaguibhsaich Lodge, which sleeps up to 13 people and sits farther away from the castle on the shores of Loch Muick. Rent for the cottages start around $750 a week (480 pounds), and vary depending on which cottage you choose and the time of the year. And you don't have to leave your dogs at home, they are welcome during your stay. The cottages are closed for most of August, September and early October for the royal family's official visit.

The cottages are charming, comfortable and fully equipped, but don't expect crystal chandeliers and marble bathrooms. Although you're at Balmoral, it's more rustic than the Ritz. People often ask me what I do for two weeks in the highlands. Like the royal family, my vacation at the castle is spent outside, enjoying the natural beauty of the region. Practice your fly fishing on the River Dee by hiring the queen's ghillie as your guide for the day. Bring your clubs and play a round of the estate's private golf course. Or just wander around the estate, past waterfalls and through the ancient Caledonian forests. Thanks to the fact that this area is so far north (same latitude as southern Alaska) it stays light until around 10 p.m. during the summer. So grab a book and a picnic basket to enjoy dinner on the castle lawn. Grill some fresh fish and have a barbeque on the banks of the river. These excursions are only available to you, as a guest on the estate. After a couple of days it's hard not to feel like royalty.

When you are finally ready to leave the estate, you can mingle with the locals at any of the cafes and pubs in the nearby villages of Ballater and Braemar. In addition to offering fresh, locally sourced food, both offer remarkably good shopping. There are several art galleries showcasing local artists, bookshops stocked with everything you'd want to read about the region and country shops where you'll be able to stock up on Harris Tweeds, Hunter boots and Barbour coats. If you want a real taste of Highland whiskey, there are tours and tastings at the Royal Lochnagar distillery, less than a mile from the estate, which has been producing whiskey since the mid 19th century. It's when the castle closes to the public at five o'clock that you really appreciate the uniqueness of staying at Balmoral. Without "tourists" around, the castle grounds are all yours to explore. The only thing you might worry about is running into your landlord. That's exactly what happened to me this summer while taking an evening walk around the castle. Several loud barking corgis ran up to say hello. It took a minute to realize that the elderly woman walking the dogs was Queen Elizabeth II. But this wasn't a typical celebrity sighting.

I didn't take out my camera for a picture or ask for an autograph. We just waved, she called the dogs back, and both of us went back to enjoying our vacation at Balmoral Castle. Balmoral Castle, Aberdeen | By Scotland Channel City finder Balmoral Castle - The Queen's Favorite Home in Scotland A visit to Balmoral, the private residence of the British Royal family in Scotland is a must do on the list of most tourists. Balmoral Castle on the Balmoral Estate in Aberdeenshire was bought by Queen Victoria in1852 after a vacation there. The original castle was considered too small for the needs of the Royal Family and the present castle was built nearby under the supervision of Prince Albert, her consort. The granite came from the neighboring quarries of Glen Gelder, which produced a near white stone. It is the favorite summer home of the present Queen and her family and they take a keen interest in the working of the Balmoral Estate which encompasses 50,000 acres. The grounds, garden and castle ballroom are open to the public when the Royal family is not in residence.

The ballroom displays beautiful items in silver and porcelain and paintings by Landseer and Carl Haag. Currently there is also a collection of Royal clothing on display in the ballroom. The rest of the castle is not open to the public, being the Queen's private rooms. Since 2003 the Balmoral Estate has become a part of the Cairngorms National Park , Britain's largest national park. The Balmoral environment, architecture and wildlife have been carefully preserved for posterity. The picturesque river Dee runs nearby and the estate includes the 2,500 acre Ballochbuie Forest, the largest reserve of native Caledonian Pine in Scotland. Trees have been planted in another 5,000 acres to create a wooded shelter for red deer. Recently the Duke of Edinburgh has enlarged the flower and vegetable garden and created the water garden. 6350 acres around Loch Muick and Lochnagar is now a wildlife reserve. Theme walks under the guidance of the Ranger Service in Balmoral is an excellent way to explore and learn about this wonderful estate.

There are also several cottages that can be rented here on a weekly basis and several activities such as running holidays, painting and photography holidays enable participants to enjoy and experience the beauty of Balmoral Castle and Estate first hand. These are unique ways to make the most of a vacation if one has the time and resources for it. Tags: Royal Residences - British Monarchist League British Monarchist League Contact Royal Residences Throughout the centuries, Britain's kings and queens have built or bought palaces to serve as family homes, workplaces and as centres of government. Some of these are still being used today as official Royal residences and many can be visited by the general public. The residences still standing today can be roughly divided into three categories: Official Royal residences which are held in trust for future generations. As well as being family homes for members of the Royal Family, these are also working buildings which are used for housing the offices of staff from the Royal Household, entertaining official guests and hosting formal events and ceremonies. The best-known of these residences are probably Buckingham Palace and Windsor Castle.

Private Estates are owned by The Queen and are often used to generate private income through farming or public access to Royal residences, they also house some well-known private residences such as Balmoral Castle and Sandringham House. Unoccupied Royal residences are all other buildings in Great Britain which once housed members of the Royal Family and are therefore of historical interest. These buildings are owned by numerous bodies and individuals and many are open to the general public. Buckingham Palace Buckingham Palace - has served as the official London residence of Britain's sovereigns since 1837 and today is the administrative headquarters of the Monarch. Although in use for the many official events and receptions held by The Queen, the State Rooms at Buckingham Palace are open to visitors every year. Buckingham Palace has 775 rooms. These include 19 State rooms, 52 Royal and guest bedrooms, 188 staff bedrooms, 92 offices and 78 bathrooms. In measurements, the building is 108 metres long across the front, 120 metres deep (including the central quadrangle) and 24 metres high. The Palace is very much a working building and the centrepiece of Britain's constitutional monarchy.

It houses the offices of those who support the day-to-day activities and duties of The Queen and The Duke of Edinburgh and their immediate family. The Palace is also the venue for great Royal ceremonies, State Visits and Investitures, all of which are organised by the Royal Household. Although Buckingham Palace is furnished and decorated with priceless works of art that form part of the Royal Collection, one of the major art collections in the world today. It is not an art gallery and nor is it a museum. Its State Rooms form the nucleus of the working Palace and are used regularly by The Queen and members of the Royal Family for official and State entertaining. More than 50,000 people visit the Palace each year as guests to banquets, lunches, dinners, receptions and the Royal Garden Parties. For those who do receive an invitation to Buckingham Palace, the first step across the threshold is into the Grand Hall and up the curving marble stairs of the Grand Staircase. Portraits are still set in the walls, as they were by Queen Victoria.

The Throne Room, sometimes used during Queen Victoria's reign for Court gatherings and as a second dancing room, is dominated by a proscenium arch supported by a pair of winged figures of 'victory' holding garlands above the 'chairs of state'. It is in the Throne Room that The Queen, on very special occasions like Jubilees, receives loyal addresses. Another use of the Throne Room has been for formal wedding photographs. George IV's original palace lacked a large room in which to entertain. Queen Victoria rectified that shortcoming by adding in 1853-5 what was, at the time of its construction, the largest room in London. At 36.6m long, 18m wide and 13.5m high, the Ballroom is the largest multi-purpose room in Buckingham Palace. It was opened in 1856 with a ball to celebrate the end of the Crimean War. It is along the East Gallery that The Queen and her State guests process to the Ballroom for the State Banquet normally held on the first day of the visit.

Around 150 guests are invited and include members of the Royal Family, the government and other political leaders, High Commissioners and Ambassadors and prominent people who have trade or other associations with the visiting country. Today, it is used by The Queen for State banquets and other formal occasions such as the annual Diplomatic Reception attended by 1,500 guests. This is a very formal occasion during which The Queen will meet every head of mission accredited to the Court of St James's. For the diplomats it is perhaps the highlight of the annual diplomatic social calendar. The Ballroom has been used variously as a concert hall for memorial concerts and performances of the arts and it is the regular venue for Investitures of which there are usually 21 a year - nine in spring, two in the summer and ten in the autumn. At Investitures, The Queen (or The Prince of Wales as Her Majesty's representative) will meet recipients of British honours and give them their awards, including knighting those who have been awarded knighthoods.

From the Ballroom, the West Gallery, with its four Gobelin tapestries, leads into the first of the great rooms that overlook lawn and the formal gardens - setting for the annual Garden Parties introduced by Queen Victoria in 1868. The State Dining Room is one of the principal State Rooms on the West side of the Palace. Many distinguished people have dined in this room including the 24 holders of the Order of Merit as well as presidents and prime ministers. Before the Ballroom was added to the Palace in the 1850s, the first State Ball was held in the Blue Drawing Room in May 1838 as part of the celebrations leading up to Queen Victoria's Coronation. The Music Room was originally known as the Bow Drawing Room and is the centre of the suite of rooms on the Garden Front between the Blue and the White Drawing Rooms. Four Royal babies - The Prince of Wales, The Princess Royal, The Duke of York and Prince William - were all christened by the Archbishop of Canterbury in the Music Room. One of its more formal uses is during a State Visit when guests are presented to The Queen, The Duke of Edinburgh and the visiting Head of State or for receptions.

The last of the suite of rooms overlooking the gardens on the principal floor is the White Drawing Room. Originally called the North Drawing Room, it is perhaps the grandest of all the State Rooms. The Room also serves as a Royal reception room for The Queen and members of the Royal Family to gather before State and official occasions. The Bow Room is familiar to the many thousands of guests to Royal Garden Parties who pass through it on their way to the garden. It was originally intended as a part of George IV's private apartments - to be the King's Library - but it was never fitted up as such. Instead, it has become another room for entertaining and is where The Queen holds the arrival lunch for a visiting Head of State at the start of a State visit. Windsor Castle Windsor Castle - is an official residence of The Queen and the largest occupied castle in the world. A Royal home and fortress for over 900 years, the Castle remains a working palace today. The Queen uses the Castle both as a private home, where she usually spends the weekend, and as a Royal residence at which she undertakes certain formal duties. Every year The Queen takes up official residence in Windsor Castle for a month over Easter (March-April), known as Easter Court.

During that time The Queen hosts occasional 'dine and sleeps' events for guests, including politicians and public figures. The Queen is also in residence for a week in June, when she attends the service of the Order of the Garter and the Royal Ascot race meeting. The Order of the Garter ceremony brings together members of the senior order of chivalry for a service in St George's Chapel. Beforehand, The Queen gives a lunch for the Knights of the Garter in the Castle's Waterloo Chamber. Any new Knights of the Garter are invested by The Queen in the Garter Throne Room. On the walls are portraits of monarchs in their Garter Robes, from George I to the present Queen, whose State portrait by Sir James Gunn was painted in 1954. Windsor Castle is often used by The Queen to host State Visits from overseas monarchs and presidents. Foreign Heads of State enter the Castle in horse-drawn carriages through the George IV Gateway into the quadrangle in the Upper Ward, where a military guard of honour is drawn up.

The traditional State Banquet is held in St George's Hall (55.5m long and 9m wide), with a table seating up to 160 guests. Recent State visits held at Windsor Castle include those of President and Mrs. Mbeki of South Africa (2001), and King Abdullah II and Queen Rania of Jordan (2001), as well as a special visit by President and Madame Chirac of France to mark the centenary of the Entente Cordiale (2004). St George's Chapel remains an active centre for worship, with daily services open to all. The Chapel is a Royal Peculiar, that is, a chapel which is not subject to a bishop or archbishop but which owes its allegiance directly to the Sovereign. The Chapel, together with the remainder of the College of St George (a school for 400 children and St George's House, a consultation centre), is governed by the Dean and Canons of Windsor, who, with their officers and staff, are independent of the Royal Household. Many Royal weddings have been celebrated in St George's Chapel, most recently that of Prince Edward and Miss Sophie Rhys-Jones in June 1999.

In 2005 a service of dedication and prayer was held in the Chapel following the marriage of The Prince of Wales and The Duchess of Cornwall. Funerals such as those of Princess Margaret and Princess Alice, Duchess of Gloucester, have also taken place there. Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother lies buried in the Chapel with her husband, King George VI, and Princess Margaret, her younger daughter. Various departments of the Royal Household are based at Windsor Castle. The ancient Round Tower houses the Royal Archives and the Royal Photograph Collection. The Print Room and Royal Library house precious drawings, prints, manuscripts and books in the Royal Collection. These are shown in a programme of changing exhibitions in the Castle's Drawings Gallery. Those who live and work within the Castle include the titular head of the Castle community, the Constable and Governor of Windsor Castle; the Dean of Windsor, Canons and other staff who run the College of St George; the Military Knights of Windsor; the Superintendent of Windsor Castle and his staff, who are responsible for day-to-day administration; the Housekeeper and her staff; and soldiers who mount a permanent military guard in the Castle. Windsor Castle is also a busy visitor attraction.

Many parts of the Castle are open to the public, including the precincts, the State Apartments, Queen Mary's famous dolls' house, St George's Chapel, and the Albert Memorial Chapel. When The Queen is in official residence, Changing the Guard provides a colourful spectacle in the quadrangle. Palace of HolyroodHouse Palace of Holyroodhouse - Founded as a monastery in 1128, the Palace of Holyroodhouse in Edinburgh is The Queen's official residence in Scotland. Situated at the end of the Royal Mile, the Palace of Holyroodhouse is closely associated with Scotland's turbulent past, including Mary, Queen of Scots, who lived here between 1561 and 1567. Successive kings and queens have made the Palace of Holyroodhouse the premier royal residence in Scotland. Today, the Palace is the setting for State ceremonies and official entertaining. During The Queen's Holyrood week, which usually runs from the end of June to the beginning of July, Her Majesty carries out a wide range of official engagements in Scotland.

The Investiture held in the Great Gallery is for Scottish residents whose achievements have been recognised in the twice-yearly Honours List which appears at New Year and on The Queen's Official Birthday in June. King George V and Queen Mary held the first garden party in the grounds of Holyroodhouse and the tradition has been maintained to the present day. Each year, The Queen and The Duke of Edinburgh entertain around 8,000 guests from all walks of Scottish life during Holyrood week. St James's Palace St. James's Palace is the senior Palace of the Sovereign, with a long history as a Royal residence. As the home of several members of the Royal Family and their household offices, it is often in use for official functions and is not open to the public. St. James's Palace is one of London's oldest palaces. It is situated in Pall Mall, just north of St James's Park. Although no sovereign has resided there for almost two centuries, it has remained the official residence of the Sovereign and the most senior royal palace in the UK. For this reason it gives its name to the Royal Court (the "Court of St James's").

St James's Palace is still a working palace, and the Royal Court is still formally based there – foreign ambassadors are still accredited to the Court of St James's, even though they are received by the monarch at Buckingham Palace. It is also the London residence of the Princess Royal and Princess Alexandra, The Honourable Lady Ogilvy. The Palace forms part of a sprawling complex of buildings housing Court offices and officials' apartments. The complex includes York House, the former home of the Prince of Wales and his sons, Princes William and Harry, Lancaster House, which is used by HM Government for official receptions, as well as the nearby Clarence House, the home of the late Queen Mother and now the residence of the Prince of Wales. The Queen's Chapel, built by Inigo Jones, adjoins St James's Palace. While the Chapel is open to the public at selected times, the palace is not accessible to the public. St James's Palace is one of the four buildings in London where guards from the Household Division can be seen (the other three are Buckingham Palace, Clarence House and Horse Guards).

Since the beginning of the 2000s, the Royal Philatelic Collection has been housed at St James's Palace, after spending the entire 20th century at Buckingham Palace. From October 2008 onwards, and officially from 6 January 2009, the staff of Princes William and Harry moved into their own rooms in St James's Palace and began reporting directly to the royal princes for the first time. Until recently the brothers' duties were looked after by Prince Charles's office at Clarence House. Clarence House Clarence House which stands beside St James's Palace, was built between 1825 and 1827 to the designs of John Nash for Prince William Henry, Duke of Clarence. He lived there as King William IV from 1830 until 1837. During its history, the house has been altered, reflecting the changes in occupancy over nearly two centuries. It was the London home of Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother from 1953 until 2002 and was also the home of The Queen, then Princess Elizabeth, and The Duke of Edinburgh following their marriage in 1947.

Today Clarence House is the official London residence of The Prince of Wales and The Duchess of Cornwall, and Princes William and Harry. It is open to the public during the summer months each year. Balmoral Castle Balmoral Castle on the Balmoral Estate in Aberdeenshire, Scotland is the private residence of The Queen. Beloved by Queen Victoria and Prince Albert, Balmoral Castle has remained a favourite residence for The Queen and her family during the summer holiday period in August and September. The Castle is located on the large Balmoral Estate, a working estate which aims to protect the environment while contributing to the local economy. The Estate grounds, gardens and the Castle Ballroom are open to visitors from the beginning of April to the end of July each year, under the management of the Balmoral Estate Office. Sandringham House Sandringham House in Norfolk has been the private home of four generations of Sovereigns since 1862. The Queen and other members of the Royal Family regularly spend Christmas at Sandringham and make it their official base until February each year. Like Balmoral, the Sandringham Estate is a commercial estate managed privately on The Queen's behalf.

Kensington Palace Kensington Palace in London is a working Royal residence. Of great historical importance, Kensington Palace was the favourite residence of successive sovereigns until 1760. It was also the birthplace and childhood home of Queen Victoria. Today Kensington Palace accommodates the offices and private apartments of a number of members of the Royal Family. Although managed by Historic Royal Palaces, the Palace is furnished with items from the Royal Collection. British Monarchist League Ltd © 2014. ✕

Question: Who was on the British throne when Balmoral Castle was bought for their use?
Answer: Victoria