Eugenie’s touching confession of Queen at Balmoral: ‘She is most happy there'

The Queen and various members of the Royal Family travel to Balmoral Castle each summer – usually staying from August into September – to enjoy life away from the public eye. There, the Royal Family partake in group activities such as fishing and shooting on the grounds of the estate that have been owned by the royals since 1852. Queen Victoria, who reigned until 1901, was gifted the now 50,000-acre estate in 1852 by Prince Albert. She once described it as her “paradise in the Highlands”. 

However, the house at that time was found to be too small so the current Balmoral Castle was built by architect William Smith. 

Princess Eugenie, the Queen’s granddaughter, recounted the halcyon days spent as a family at the palace, before Prince Philip passed away in April 2021. 

In fact, the 32-year-old described it as one of the “most beautiful” places on the planet which is home to many fond memories. 

Speaking on the documentary, Our Queen At Ninety, Princess Eugenie said: “I think Granny is the most happy there.

“I think she really, really loves the Highlands.”

The daughter of Prince Andrew described a day in the life of a royal at Balmoral, located in Royal Deeside, Aberdeenshire. 

She said: “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 also recounted how at a family barbecue, the Duke of Edinburgh did the cooking while the Queen did the washing up.

READ MORE: What former PMs have said about meeting Queen at Balmoral