Charles Opens Queen's Beloved Castle for (Pricey) Tours

Tickets for a glimpse inside Balmoral sell out in hours
By Arden Dier,  Newser Staff
Posted Apr 4, 2024 6:30 AM CDT
First Tours of Queen's Beloved Castle Sell Out in Hours
Britain's Queen Elizabeth II, Prince Philip and their children, Prince Charles, right, Princess Anne and Prince Andrew, pose for a photo on the lawn of Balmoral Castle, in Scotland in September 1960.   (AP Photo, File)

The chance to peer inside the place where Queen Elizabeth II died proved too much a temptation this week as the first public tours inside Balmoral Castle sold out within 24 hours. On Wednesday, King Charles III announced members of the public would for the first time be able to tour the interior of Balmoral, the British royal family's private Scottish estate, as well as Buckingham Palace's east wing, during daily tours in July and August. Forty tickets to get inside Balmoral were available each day from July 1 to August 4, before Charles and Queen Camilla arrive for their summer break, at the hefty price of $120 per person, or $190 with the added option of afternoon tea, ABC News reports. All sold out within 24 hours, per the Ardrossan Herald.

The tours are being offered as part of a trial to test whether the building completed in 1855 can handle increased foot traffic, per the Guardian. Those who managed to snag tickets will get a glimpse of the ballroom—a regular stop on the usual tour of the grounds—as well as two dining rooms, the drawing room, the page's lobby, and the red corridor. Visitors "can see how rooms within the Castle are used today by their Majesties The King and Queen and other members of the Royal Family," according to a tour description. They can also view Charles' watercolor paintings and a selection of outfits worn by royals including the late queen.

Photography is not permitted on the interior tour. Tickets to tour the castle grounds, open to the public from May 4 to August 11, remain available at a cost of $22 per adult. Tours of Buckingham Palace's east wing, including a visit to the central balcony where the royal family gathers for public appearances, run daily from July 15 to August 31 at a cost of $95 per adult, reports the BBC. (More British royals stories.)

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