Five palaces for a queen: Elizabeth II's favorite residences that you can visit

Castles, palaces, country houses... many have been the

throughout her long life, some are royal palaces, owned by the Crown in trust, and others are private have been inherited for several generations.

The main home of the long-lived monarch has always been in London, in the well-known Buckinham Palace, but her favorite places to live, to which she escaped whenever she could, were others, far from the city and in the countryside, where the Queen he enjoyed walks with his dogs, horses, hunting or fishing and his gardens.

We show

that, after the official mourning for her death, will reopen their doors to the public for visits.

Balmoral Castle

Balmoral Castle.

Located in a privileged location in the Scottish county of Aberdeenshire, about 170 km north of Edinburgh, the imposing castle, watered by the River Dee and surrounded by woods and meadows, dates back to 1390. It was acquired by Queen Victoria in 1848 and, since then, the private residence, included in a property of 260 square kilometers at the gates of the Scottish Highlands, has been a summer resort for the British royal family.

to which she went every summer, where she enjoyed the most, to which she invited at least once the different prime ministers that the United Kingdom had during her reign and where she died on the 8th of September.

The castle is the main tourist attraction and economic engine of the area, with some 85,000 annual visitors.

Its doors are open to the public only a few months a year (from April to August) and not in its entirety.

Inside the residence, only

can be accessed , in which there is a permanent exhibition of photographs of the rest of the rooms of the castle.

Outside, you can visit the stables, which house a fine collection of carriages and vintage cars, and the wonderful, well-kept gardens.

Price: from 17 euros.

More information here.

windsor castle

St. George's Cathedral at Windsor Castle.

This imposing fortress located 40 km west of London, in the county of Berkshire, was the refuge of Elizabeth II to which she escaped on weekends.

It is said that it was also the favorite place of her husband Philip of Edinburgh, where she died in April 2021.

The extraordinary building has served as the residence of British monarchs for a thousand years, making it

Touring the entire walled complex can take about four hours, since in it, in addition to the residence, there are gardens, a mound with a moat and the homage tower, as well as a Gothic chapel, luxurious rooms where official acts are still held and a small row of houses next to the medieval wall belonging to the families of the knights of the Order of the Garter.

In the

you can see from the rooms of the kings to the grandiose halls with furniture and decoration from several centuries.

Not to be missed is the famous

, a miniature palace designed in 1924 in great detail, in which the furniture is an exact replica of that of the Castle, the lights and elevators work, there is running water and the Main hall clock chimes promptly every hour.

In the lower part of the enclosure stands the

, a jewel of English Gothic architecture, from the 15th century, in which worship is still celebrated.

Ten kings are buried there, including Henry VIII, and he has been a witness to several royal weddings.

It is worth attending the prayer sung by the vicars of the choir every day at 5:15 p.m.

Price: 24 euros.

More information here.

Sandringham House

Sandringham House

Two and a half hours north of London, near the Norfolk coast, is this wonderful country house surrounded by 160 hectares of parks and gardens.

It is an

as a private residence for the Prince of Wales (the future Edward VII).

In it, Elizabeth II spent her childhood with her father, which is why she had a special affection for the property.

From there, he transmitted his Christmas message to the nation every year, as he spent Christmas and New Year's there with his family, a season that he sometimes extended until February to commemorate the death of his father, King George VI, who died in Sandringham in 1952.

The house first opened to the public in 1977 and houses a museum with different objects from real life and the history of the mansion.

The guided tour of the impeccable gardens and the church of María Magdalena is highly recommended.

It can be accessed from April to the end of November.

Price: from 26 euros.

More information here.

buckinham palace

Buckinham Palace in London.

Buckingham Palace has been the official residence of the British royal family in London since 1837. Elizabeth II lived there and worked on various ceremonies and state visits.

Built in 1703 for the Duke of Buckingham, the massive building was purchased by King George III in 1762 for use as a private residence.

Since its construction it has been enlarged and remodeled several times.

It is one of the biggest attractions in the British capital.

In summer, you can visit

, decorated with some of the greatest treasures of the royal collection, such as paintings by Rembrandt, Rubens and Canaletto.

You are also allowed to visit the

,

and the

In addition, throughout the year the

is celebrated in front of the palace.

Price: from 35 euros.

More information here.

Holyrood Palace

Holyroodhouse in Edinburgh.

Also called Holyroodhouse, this

inside, was the official residence of the Queen while she was in Scotland, a tradition that dates back to the 16th century, and where her mortal remains rested for a few hours after his passing.

She used to spend a week there every year in the early summer, before moving to Balmoral Castle.

Located at the end of the Royal Mile, in the heart of Edinburgh, the mansion, home of Mary Stuart, is open to the public all year.

Her apartments are located in the tower, the oldest part of the castle.

These are preceded by several ceremonial rooms, with exquisite decoration that includes period furniture, precious tapestries and different royal portraits.

The royal bedroom is still used.

The

, where the Queen held official receptions, houses 96 portraits of members of the dynasty.

The Augustinian Abbey of Holyrood, built in the 12th century, is now in ruins.

Price: 21 euros.

More information here.

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