Everything (or almost everything) has a price in life, and from today, for the equivalent of twenty euros, any neighbor's child can visit Balmoral Castle in Scotland, where Queen Elizabeth II died on September 8 , where Charles and Diana spent their honeymoon, and where the royal family gathered after the death of the Princess of Wales. And in this way, feel part of history.
It is clear that for this modest amount (half of what it costs to enter the Phoenix Zoo, in Arizona, to put any reference) you cannot expect much, just a glance at the ballroom, the noble main hall of the residence , in the gardens and a few more rooms, nothing to gossip about the rooms where the Windsors continue to settle, especially during the summer, as Elizabeth did. Nor the more than two hundred square kilometers that include the grounds, an ecosystem of its own with mountains, valleys, forests, lakes, meadows and one of the best rivers for salmon fishing.
But as money, yes, buys almost everything, access to this little universe can be obtained by hiring an experience tour for a maximum of six people which, of course, is not worth twenty euros but almost four hundred. But whoever wants something, something costs him. And it is no small thing to feel like king or queen for a day, to put yourself in the shoes of Elizabeth II during the World War, when she learned mechanics as a member of the Auxiliary Territorial Service and fixed Land Rovers in the garage of Balmoral Or Diana, when Charles took her to be officially introduced to the family. Or Enric, when he couldn't say goodbye to his grandmother, because he arrived late after receiving the sad news of her sudden death.
The castle has existed as such since the 15th century, but it was Prince Albert who bought it for Queen Victoria in 1852, and it was rehabilitated over the following years and converted into a royal residence with all the comforts and luxuries that means (it has 52 rooms and multiple halls, including one where the monarch receives his guests on official visits). "It's a place for walks, picnics, dogs, lots of dogs, and people coming in and out all the time", in the words of Princess Eugènia. Fifty people (gardeners, butlers, chambermaids, cooks...) serve permanently, and they have everything ready in case someone shows up unexpectedly.
Apart from the grandiose main structure, the grounds of Balmoral are spread over some cottages or small houses that can be rented, and two more of Downton Abbey's own mansions, Birkhall (where Charles has been settling in for years to have more autonomy and privacy, and where he was with Camilla after the wedding) and Craigowan Lodge.
The British royals have no shortage of places to choose where to spend their holidays without having to pay for a hotel or look for something cheap on Airbnb. In addition to Balmoral, Clarence House (where he lives), Windsor Castle (in recent years the main residence of Elizabeth II and Duke Philip of Edinburgh), Buckingham Palace (for official receptions), Highrove House, Dumfries, also in the Scottish countryside, Llwynywermod in Wales, Holyroodhouse in Edinburgh, Hillsborough in Belfast, Anmer Hall, Mey and Sandringham, where it is traditional for the family to gather at Christmas. The combined value of all these properties is around 15,000 million euros.
Charles III does not hide that he wants to be a different monarch from his mother, more political (Brexit seems to him a terrible idea and he showed off his Europeanism in this week's visit to), defender of all faiths (and not only the Anglican), declared environmentalist, more open and accessible. Part of this opening – and the desire to earn some extra money to help maintain the residences – is the decision to open Balmoral to the public all year round (except in the summer, when he and his relatives). The castle also hosts an exhibition on the time spent there by successive monarchs, from Queen Victoria to the present day (the twenty euros is included in the entrance fee).
"I don't want it to be a mausoleum, but a place where the British and tourists from all over the world can reflect on the life of Elizabeth II and remember her fondly," says Carles. But surely he will not visit Balmoral as regularly as his mother, who spent every summer there and died unexpectedly nearly seven months ago. Camil·la is not fascinated, just like Highgrove, because they are residences that she associates with both Wales. And jealousy, even if she won the battle of love, is a very powerful feeling, red blood or blue blood, with or without a crown.
