Charles, writing in the 80-page paperback, said the Scottish estate is a \u201ccherished home\u201d for his family, with \u201cstartling individuality\u201d and a \u201cprecious, almost sacred, surrounding landscape\u201d.<\/p>\n
In 1852, the Balmoral estate was purchased by Queen Victoria and her husband Prince Albert, who had fallen in love with the Highlands and went on to build the castle.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Since then, it has become a favourite summer retreat of the royal family, with kings and queens adding their own stamp to the castle and grounds over the decades.<\/p>\n Charles wrote of the 50,000-acre estate: \u201cBalmoral has been the cherished Scottish home of my family since the estate was purchased by Prince Albert, my great-great-great-grandfather, in 1852.<\/p>\n \u201cWith its buildings of startling individuality, which never fail to fascinate, and its precious, almost sacred, surrounding landscape, it is a place where there is constant change, yet everything remains unaltered, with a sense of timelessness which refreshes the soul.<\/p>\n \u201cSince my earliest childhood, it has held, and continues to hold, a uniquely special place in the hearts of my family and myself, and my late mother particularly treasured her time at Balmoral.<\/p>\n \u201cIt was here, in these most beloved of surroundings, that she chose to spend her final days.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cWhatever the circumstances in which you are reading this book, I hope that you, too, will be inspired by the rich complexity of the architecture and share in the magic of the surrounding countryside, whose \u2018wild and majestic\u2019 landscape has been the source of inspiration and enjoyment for so many.\u201d<\/p>\n Charles\u2019s mother, Queen Elizabeth II, died peacefully at the estate aged 96 on September 8 2022 after serving as sovereign for 70 years<\/p>\n The guidebook opens with an image of a watercolour of the castle, painted by Charles in 1989, alongside the foreword.<\/p>\n In July 2024, the King opened the Aberdeenshire castle to the public for the first time in more than 170 years and has made a number of changes to the interior and the gardens.<\/p>\n Before this, the only part of the building the public could visit was the ballroom, which houses a different exhibition each year.<\/p>\n Prime ministers are traditionally invited to stay with the head of state at Balmoral during the summer, and Harold Wilson, who is said to have \u201cgot on like a house on fire\u201d with Queen Elizabeth II, joined members of the royal family for riverside picnics on the estate.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n The new guidebook, titled Balmoral and written by journalist and historian Mary Miers, details how the King replaced the ballroom lawn with an intricate maze reflecting his interest in geometric patterns.<\/p>\n Wrought-iron gates in the Queen Mary\u2019s Garden were remodelled in 2023 to celebrate the centenary of their creation and the coronation of Charles and Camilla with the inclusion of the couple\u2019s cyphers.<\/p>\n Inside the castle, the King has introduced more furniture, paintings and objects, many drawn from the Royal Collection, along with carpets.<\/p>\n Ms Miers said: \u201cBalmoral will forever be associated with Victoria and Albert\u2019s love affair with the Highlands, but there\u2019s so much more to the story, which I hope this guidebook reveals.<\/p>\n \u201cNow that Balmoral is more publicly accessible, it\u2019s possible to appreciate how central the Prince Consort\u2019s interests in architecture, design, landscaping and estate management were to its creation, and how effectively the King, who shares these passions, has added a new layer of interest and style, while preserving and enhancing the original.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n![\"Queen](\"https:\/\/image.assets.pressassociation.io\/v2\/image\/production\/0dd800916bca8ca86be3c6728708ab64Y29udGVudHNlYXJjaGFwaSwxNzgwMjM3NjIw\/2.68702733.jpg?w=640\")
![\"Audience](\"https:\/\/image.assets.pressassociation.io\/v2\/image\/production\/27ebe90c4e158d906f1206e539e67dfdY29udGVudHNlYXJjaGFwaSwxNzgwMjM3NzU4\/2.32933939.jpg?w=640\")