The private apartments used by the late Queen when she stayed at her official royal residence in Scotland will be open to visitors for the first and only time this year.
Tours at the Palace of Holyroodhouse – which will only run for 100 days in 2026, to celebrate what would have been her centennial – will begin from 21 May, and go until 10 September.
Groups will be taken around the grounds, offering insights into personal, ‘lived-in’ spaces, some of which date back to the 17th century, and were used by other royal family members, going back as far as Queen Victoria‘s reign.
Elizabeth II and Philip were famously fond of Scotland, and Holyroodhouse was where they would stay when visiting Edinburgh, occupying a suite of private rooms on the Palace’s east side, with stunning views of the gardens and Holyrood Park.
The private apartments used by the late Queen when she stayed at her official royal residence in Scotland will be open to visitors for the first and only time this year
Tours at the Palace of Holyroodhouse – which will only run for 100 days in 2026, to celebrate what would have been her centennial – will begin from 21 May, and go until 10 September
Visitors will get to look through the Royal Breakfast Room, where the couple dined, which is adorned with stunning Flemish tapestries from the 1650s, put up by King George V and Queen Mary in the 1920s.
Elsewhere, the Dressing Room where Elizabeth II would have gotten ready for official engagements will also be available to view – and offer a glimpse into three pieces from her wardrobe.
All the gowns were worn during significant occasions in Edinburgh, including a purple, silk-wool coat donned for the official opening of the Scottish Parliament on 1 July, 1999.
It was teamed with a green silk-crepe and lace dress, and a woven, tartan shawl in matching colours and a feathered hat by the milliner Philip Somerville.
Elsewhere, Elizabeth II wore a white, pink, gold and cream silk dress, designed by John Anderson, for the Commonwealth Heads of Government reception in 1997.
Also on display will be a white tweed coat and pink wool crepe day dress by Karl Ludwig van Rehse, worn by the queen for a 2017 Garden Party at the Palace, hosted during the summer ‘Holyrood Week’.
The tour will also take viewers into the Sitting Room, where the monarch went through paperwork, and hosted private audiences – as well as, occasionally, tuning into the horseracing on television.
The tour will also take viewers into the Sitting Room, where the monarch went through paperwork, and hosted private audiences – as well as, occasionally, tuning into the horseracing on television
History enthusiasts will be able to get their hands on tickets starting from today, as Royal Collection Trust email subscribers will be given priority access to book tickets at an exclusive offer price
Throughout the different areas of the Palace are Prince Philip’s art collection, with the late royal known to have been an avid collector of contemporary Scottish works.
Throughout, there are also furnishings from the Royal Collection , including pieces made by Young, Trotter and Hamilton, an Edinburgh-based firm.
They were provided for the Palace in 1796, for the arrival of Marie Antoinette’s brother-in-law Charles-Philippe, Comte d’Artois, who was taking refuge in Scotland amidst the French Revolution.
History enthusiasts will be able to get their hands on tickets starting from today, as Royal Collection Trust email subscribers will be given priority access to book tickets at an exclusive offer price.
The remaining tickets will go on general sale on Thursday, 12 March.
After the tour, visitors will also be able to look at Mary, Queen of Scots’ historic State Apartments, which will also be included in the ticket price.
‘Queen Elizabeth II’s well-known love for Scotland will be given fresh context,’ said Emma Stead, a curator at Holyroodhouse.
‘Through this unique and special access to the private apartments, visitors will enjoy a new perspective into both the formal and more informal use of Edinburgh’s royal palace.’
