Queen Elizabeth & Prince Philip’s Private Rooms Open to the Public at Holyroodhouse Palace
The private life of Queen Elizabeth II, often shielded from public view, is set to be revealed in a new way. For the first time, visitors to the Palace of Holyroodhouse in Edinburgh will be granted access to the late Queen’s personal apartments, offering a rare glimpse into the spaces where she and Prince Philip sought respite from official duties.
The tours, opening on , and running through , are timed to coincide with the centenary of Queen Elizabeth’s birth. The Royal Collection Trust is offering exclusive early access to subscribers starting on , with general sale tickets becoming available on , priced at £75, in addition to the standard palace admission fee of £22 in advance or £26 on the day.
These aren’t the grand state rooms designed to impress dignitaries. Instead, the apartments are described as “modestly decorated” and “lived-in,” offering a sense of the couple’s everyday life. The rooms, located on the palace’s east side overlooking the gardens and Holyrood Park, were a suite used regularly by the Queen and Prince Philip during their stays in Scotland.
Among the spaces opening to the public is the Royal Breakfast Room, a surprisingly intimate setting considering its location within a royal residence. The room is adorned with 17th-century Flemish tapestries depicting floral designs, originally hung in the 1920s at the request of Queen Elizabeth’s grandparents, King George V and Queen Mary. The room’s centerpiece is a small, circular table set with simple crockery, a deliberate contrast to the elaborate dinner services used for state occasions.
Visitors will also be able to explore the Queen’s Dressing Room, where she prepared for engagements, and the Sitting Room, a space that reflected her personal interests. A lifelong racing enthusiast, the Queen would often watch horse races in the Sitting Room during her downtime, offering a glimpse into a more relaxed side of the monarch.
The Palace of Holyroodhouse, the monarchy’s official residence in Scotland, has a long history of royal occupation, dating back to the 17th century and including use by Queen Victoria. The current furnishings within the Queen’s apartments reflect both Elizabeth and Philip’s personal tastes and pieces from the broader Royal Collection, showcasing their affection for Scotland.
The decision to open these private rooms is a significant one, offering a level of access rarely granted to the public. While some spaces within the palace remain deeply personal and reserved for current members of the royal family, the opening of these apartments provides a unique opportunity to connect with the late Queen on a more human level.
The tours will be led by expert guides who will provide historical context, detailing how the rooms were used by successive monarchs, from Queen Victoria to Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip. This historical perspective will enrich the experience, allowing visitors to understand the evolution of the space and its significance within the broader narrative of the British monarchy.
The opening of these rooms isn’t simply a historical exhibition. it’s a carefully curated invitation to step inside a private world, to understand the rhythms of a life lived largely in public view, and to appreciate the quiet moments that shaped one of the 20th and 21st centuries’ most iconic figures. It’s a chance to see beyond the crown and the ceremony, and to glimpse the personal spaces where a Queen could simply be herself.