Cherished by the family of England over several generations, Balmoral Castle is the royal residence in which Elizabeth II died this Thursday, September 8, at the age of 96.
A symbolic place for the Windsors who spent precious family moments there.
Between sorrows and tears, meetings of heads of state and prime ministers, engagement and honeymoon... The walls of the Scottish residence are also a bit like 70 years of the monarch's reign.
Read alsoLove, drama and secrets: Elizabeth II, a private life under the gold of Buckingham Palace
Situated on the banks of the River Dee, the estate was built in 1390, then renovated and extended over the years.
In 1852, the castle became one of the many properties of the royal family when Prince Albert offered it to his wife, Queen Victoria.
Described as “the most beautiful place in the world” by Princess Eugenie, Balmoral is one of Queen Elizabeth II's favorite properties.
In video, the BBC announces the death of Queen Elizabeth II
Announcement of death
On the day of the monarch's death, her son Charles along with his wife and siblings, Anne, Andrew and Edward, visited their mother's bedside.
The Prince of Wales' sons, William and Harry, also rushed to Balmoral, a place that can only bring back similar painful memories.
In 1997, the two brothers spent part of their summer with their family, with their father and their grandparents, in the Scottish residence, when on August 31, a telephone bell rang between the walls of the castle.
Lady Diana, the mother of the young princes, died in a serious car accident in the tunnel under Place de l'Alma in Paris.
Aged 15 and 12, William and Harry hear the terrible news from Scotland.
“It was as if an earthquake had just passed through the house,
Diana, Our Mother: Her Life and Legacy
aired in 2017.
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Elizabeth II, Prince Philip, Prince Charles and his sons William and Harry, as well as Peter Phillips, stop in front of Balmoral Castle to look at the flowers laid in tribute to Lady Diana.
(September 5, 1997.) Getty Images
A little love nest
Between hikes, horseback riding, fishing trips and barbecues, the Windsors also shared moments of joy at Balmoral.
In 1947, Prince Philip kneels down and asks for her hand from Elizabeth II, while they are staying in the Scottish residence.
The wedding takes place the same year and the newlyweds decide to spend their honeymoon in this place that they appreciate so much.
Thirty-four years later, it was King Charles III – still a prince at the time – and his wife Lady Diana who, after their marriage, spent their honeymoon on the estate.
For Prince William, this place is synonymous with pain but also with love.
Not far from the estate, the Duke of Cambridge met his future wife, Kate Middleton, at the University of St Andrews where they were both studying.
“It is here, in Scotland,
that I met Catherine for the first time.
Needless to say, the city where you meet your future wife holds a very special place in your heart,” said the father of George, Charlotte and Louis during a speech, taken up by the media.
People
.
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Elizabeth II and Prince Philip take a walk in the Highlands on the Balmoral estate in Scotland.
(October 1, 1972.) Getty Images
A tradition for prime ministers
During her reign, Elizabeth II used to invite the Prime Minister in office for a few days each year.
In 1981, the very famous Margaret Thatcher was invited by the Queen to her precious Scottish home.
A visit which was not the most pleasant for the one nicknamed the "iron lady", who described these few days on the estate as a "purgatory", explains biographer John Campbell, taken up by
Paris Match
.
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In 70 years of reign, Elizabeth II will have known 16 prime ministers.
Tuesday, September 6, Liz Truss is officially elected to this post, succeeding Boris Johnson.
That same day, the leader of the Conservative Party went to Balmoral to meet the one who was at the head of the Windsor clan.
An interview which took place exceptionally in this residence and not at Buckingham Palace.
Two days before her death, the monarch held out a trembling hand to the new prime minister, asking her, as protocol dictates, to form a new government.
Elizabeth II seems to have wished to fulfill her duties until the last moment, remaining faithful to her role as queen.