Queen Elizabeth II’s private rooms at her official Scottish home are to be publicly opened for the first time to mark the centenary of her birth.
Visitors can tour the “personal lived-in” areas, which were used by the Queen and Prince Philip.
The Palace of Holyroodhouse in Edinburgh boasts many rooms with rich history, including the Queen’s Dressing Room, where she would prepare for official engagements.
People can also see the sitting room, where she would work from her red boxes and relax in the evenings.
The Queen and Philip would occupy a series of private rooms, which dated back to the 17th century.
The Royal Collection Trust said: “These modestly decorated rooms offer a rare glimpse into the personal ‘lived-in’ spaces used during private moments between official duties.”
Tours are scheduled to run for 100 days, giving visitors a small glimpse of the Royal Family’s life behind closed doors with expert guides.
In the sitting room, the Queen would carry out her official duties, hold private audiences and work from a small desk facing the central window.
Rooms from the Palace of Holyroodhouse will be on show
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The room features a large chandelier, two sofas facing each other on either side of the fireplace, decorated with six cushions
Her Majesty had a flat-screen TV in the room, where she would watch programmes between engagements.
Three ensembles will be visible in the Queen’s dressing room, each worn for a key occasion in Edinburgh.
One of the garments on display is a white, pink, gold and cream beaded and sequinned silk gown, embroidered with gold thread and designed by John Anderson, which the Queen wore to a Commonwealth Heads of Government reception held at the palace in 1997.
In the sitting room, the Queen would carry out her official duties
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Rooms are furnished with historic objects from the Royal Collection and from some of the royals’ personal collections.
Philip was an avid collector of contemporary Scottish art and works from his private collection, including pieces by 20th-century Scottish artists and those that demonstrate his appreciation of Scotland’s landscapes and wildlife.
These will be part of the tour, the Royal Collection said.
Emma Stead, the palace’s curator, said: “Queen Elizabeth II’s well-known love for Scotland will be given fresh context through this unique and special access to the private apartments, where visitors will enjoy a new perspective into both the formal and more informal use of Edinburgh’s royal palace.”
The private rooms will be visible to the public for 100 days
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The late Queen died at Balmoral in Scotland in September 2022 after reigning for 70 years.
The centenary of her birth is on April 21 this year.
Royal Collection Trust email subscribers will have priority access to book tickets at a special rate of £61 starting March 9.
The remaining tickets, priced at £71 in advance for adults or £75 on the day, will be available to the general public from March 12.
To visit the tours, you need to purchase them separately from the standard admission ticket to the Palace of Holyroodhouse, which costs £22 if booked in advance and £26 if purchased on the day.
The Queen Elizabeth II Private Apartment Tours, available only this year, will run daily for 100 days from May 21 to September 10.
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