Members of the public could soon have their own ‘royal’ wedding at the King’s Balmoral estate.
The royal estate in Aberdeenshire has lodged plans to hold weddings at the Queen’s Building, on the grounds near Balmoral Castle.
The plans include enabling the venue to ‘be used for weddings, dinners, meetings and associated events’, which it said would be ‘rare throughout the year’.
The private Scottish home has been handed down through generations of royals after being bought for Queen Victoria by Prince Albert in 1852, and is used as a royal summer retreat.
Queen Elizabeth II died at Balmoral in September 2022, and this year, Charles opened up the castle to public tours this year, which sold out within 24 hours.
Tickets for the guided tours, priced at £100 or £150 with afternoon tea, enabled 40 people each day to visit the royal residence from July 1 to August 4.
Could couples soon hold their big day at the famous royal residence?
What are the plans?
The estate plans to revamp the layout of the Queen’s Building with a new reception area and expanded outdoor area on the patio, increasing capacity from 250 to 277 people inside and 40 to 144 outside.
Inside, alcohol could be served up to 12.30am and events could involve live performances and dancing.
An application set to go before the Aberdeenshire Licensing Board meeting in December argues certain conditions on the outdoor area are not required, describing it as a ‘pleasant outdoor area for family dining located in the confines of the private estate property.’
Addressing a condition preventing amplified music being played outside, the application states there is ‘no realistic possibility of the public or of any neighbour being disturbed’ as music will be kept to a ‘low level’.
Where is Balmoral castle?
Balmoral Castle is located in Royal Deeside, Aberdeenshire, Scotland and it was originally built during the fifteenth century.
It was bought by Queen Victoria and Prince Albert in 1852 and she soon commissioned a new, larger castle to be built next to it.
Queen Victoria started spending more and more time at Balmoral house during the later years of her life, in part because of her late-husbands passion for the project of building the new castle.
After Queen Victoria’s death in 1901 the ownership passed to King Edward VII, who only stayed there for a few weeks each year.
However, this changed when King George V took the crown, and he regularly visited the castle following World War 1.
His successor King George VI also greatly enjoyed the castle with his wife Queen Elizabeth, the Queen Mother, and the couple spent long periods of time there.
Why is Balmoral so special to the royal family?
Balmoral is steeped in history for the royal family. It’s even more special to them given that Queen Elizabeth II was on the grounds when she passed away in September 2022.
Queen Elizabeth II first came to Balmoral with her husband Phillip in 1952 and the Duke of Edinburgh even produced his own vegetable garden on the grounds.
Her Majesty traditionally took a summer break at Balmoral Castle every year, along with other members of the Royal Family.
In 1997 when Princess Diana died, The Queen, Prince Philip and Princes Harry and William were at Balmoral. They remained there to mourn privately before going back to London.
Can you get married at Balmoral now?
For those who are hoping to get married soon, we have bad news – Balmoral isn’t open for weddings currently.
But that could soon change, if the plans put forward go through.
Can you visit Balmoral?
Yes. The royal residence, situated between Ballater and Braemar in the north-east of Scotland, opened to visitors for a little over a month in the summer between July 1 and August 4.
Places on the tours began at £100, while an option that included afternoon tea for £150.
The public has been able to walk around the vast estate for free between April 1 and May 3, when the ticketed summer season begins.
Visitors then have to pay for access to the grounds and gardens until August 11, with the royal family tending to arrive at the castle for the summer break later that month.
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