Queen Elizabeth 'died peacefully' at Balmoral Castle. Take a look inside the 50,000-acre royal estate where she spent every summer.
- Queen Elizabeth "died peacefully" at Balmoral Castle at the age of 96 on Thursday.
- The Queen spent every summer at the 50,000-acre estate in the Scottish Highlands.
Balmoral Castle is the royal family's vacation home in Aberdeenshire, Scotland.
Prince Albert bought it for Queen Victoria in 1852, then decided to demolish the existing structure and build a new larger one on the grounds in 1856.
Queen Victoria wrote that Balmoral Castle could "make one forget the world and its sad turmoils."
She also wrote that at Balmoral Castle, "all seemed to breathe freedom and peace."
The 50,000-acre estate features 150 buildings in total.
Among these buildings are Craig Gowan House and Birkhall, Prince Charles' home.
Inside the castle, the Queen receives guests in the castle's formal Drawing Room.
She most recently welcomed incoming prime minister Liz Truss. The meeting would normally have taken place at Buckingham Palace, but the Queen remained at Balmoral Castle due to mobility issues.
The castle features a study with an extensive library.
Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip posed in the study in 1976.
The Queen also has a private study of her own.
Her Majesty was photographed sitting at her writing desk at Balmoral Castle in 1972.
As part of the Queen's Platinum Jubilee, an exhibit at Balmoral Castle displayed some of her outfits worn while visiting the estate over the years.
The "Life At Balmoral" exhibit also featured an art installation, classic cars, and old toys once played with by Prince Charles.
The sprawling estate contains a farmhouse, a dairy farm, and gardens.
It's a peaceful escape for members of the royal family.
Located on the shores of the River Dee, the grounds feature beautiful scenery.
Prince Charles is also a fan of fishing in the river.
Queen Elizabeth usually vacations at Balmoral Castle every summer.
Queen Elizabeth has been at Balmoral Castle since July. She also visited in May before the Platinum Jubilee festivities.
In a documentary, Princess Eugenie said a typical day at Balmoral includes "Walks, picnics, dogs — a lot of dogs, there's always dogs — and people coming in and out all the time."
"It's a lovely base for Granny and Grandpa, for us to come and see them up there; where you just have room to breathe and run," Princess Eugenie said in the documentary "Our Queen At Ninety."
Eugenie called Balmoral Castle "the most beautiful place on Earth."
"I think granny is the most happy there," she said.
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