Queen Elizabeth II's beloved Balmoral: A look at the Scottish castle
Summer residence of Queen Elizabeth II was reportedly her 'paradise in the Highlands'
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Queen Elizabeth II died on the afternoon of Thursday, Sept. 8, 2022, at Balmoral Castle in Scotland, the Royal Family announced at 1:30 p.m. EDT. She was 96.
Balmoral Castle, the Queen's summer residence, is located in Aberdeenshire, Scotland, approximately 50 miles west of the city of Aberdeen.
The Queen reportedly loved the sprawling, 50,000-acre Balmoral, calling the home her "paradise in the highlands," according to Perthnow, an Australian website.
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Former British Prime Minister Tony Blair and his wife Cherie were invited to stay with the royals at Balmoral back in 1998, the outlet reported.
Balmoral Castle was reportedly a "paradise in the Highlands" to Queen Elizabeth II. The grounds include 50,000 acres. (ANDREW MILLIGAN/POOL/AFP via Getty Images)
Blair later said that Prince Philip was stationed at the barbecue grill and the Queen washed the dinner dishes herself.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Princess Eugenie, one of the Queen's grandchildren, has also commented on the Queen’s holiday home, calling it "the most beautiful place in the world," Perthnow noted.
"I think Granny is the most happy there. I think she really, really loves the Highlands," the young royal reportedly said.
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{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}The estate has been in the hands of the royal family since February 1848, according to the official Balmoral website.
Prince Albert first acquired the property as a present for his wife, Queen Victoria, before either of them had visited the estate.
Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, with their children, Princess Anne (at far left), Prince Andrew (as a baby) and Charles, Prince of Wales (far right), sitting on a picnic blanket outside Balmoral Castle in Scotland in Sept. 1960. "I think Granny is the most happy there. I think she really, really loves the Highlands," Princess Eugenie reportedly said of Balmoral. (Photo by Keystone/Getty Images)
Four years later, in 1852, the sale of the estate to the royal family was officially completed, according to the website.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}While Queen Victoria reportedly loved the estate, the website says, it quickly became apparent that the existing buildings were too small.
Construction on a new and larger castle home began shortly after Prince Albert purchased the property; that work was finished in 1856.
A child lays flowers at the Balmoral estate where the Queen died on Thursday, September 8, 2022, at age 96. (MEGA for Fox News Digital)
Balmoral architecture is considered to be Scottish baronial combined with Gothic Revival, according to Architectural Digest.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Since the purchase by Prince Albert, the estate has remained in the hands of the British royal family, notes the Balmoral website.
As of 2022, the Balmoral Estate contains about 150 buildings.
The family has continued to add buildings and land, and as of 2022, the Balmoral estate contains about 150 buildings.
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{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}On Tuesday, September 6, two days before her death, Queen Elizabeth II appointed Liz Truss as the new prime minister, as Fox News Digital previously reported.
The two met at Balmoral in what would be the Queen’s last public appearance.
Mary Anne Donaghey, an American tourist from the Boston area, saw the Queen passing by in her car in Scotland this summer and took this photo of her. "We have all suffered a loss today," Donaghey told Fox News Digital. "Someone of her character comes along only once in a generation or so — she dedicated her entire life to service." (Mary Anne Donaghey)
One American tourist was traveling through Scotland this summer when she turned around only to see the Queen's car driving by.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}"We were in Scotland at the entrance to the Palace of Holyroodhouse in Edinburgh when we happened to see the Queen drive by," Mary Anne Donaghey, who lives in the Boston area, told Fox News Digital.
"It was July 2nd," she said. "The Royal week is celebrated in Scotland each [end of] June" through early July, she added.
Donaghey also said, "Scotland is absolutely beautiful, and being a fan of all things royal, it was just wonderful to see the Queen drive by."
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"We have all suffered a loss today," she added of the Queen's passing.
"Someone of her character comes along only once in a generation or so — she dedicated her entire life to service. God bless her."