For 70 years, Queen Elizabeth II returned to the Palace of Holyroodhouse each summer, occupying a suite of private rooms on the palace’s east side while she celebrated Scottish culture and met Scots from all walks of life. Now, to mark the centenary of her birth, those rooms are opening to the public for the first time.
The Queen Elizabeth II Private Apartment Tours will run for 100 days only, from 21 May to 10 September 2026, offering small groups the chance to be taken behind the scenes by expert guides. This is a strictly limited opportunity—the tours are available only this year, and once the centenary celebrations conclude, these doors will close again.
The Palace of Holyroodhouse is the official residence of the monarch in Scotland, and it was the setting for many significant occasions during the late Queen’s reign. While in Edinburgh, she and Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, would stay in these private apartments, with their stunning views of the gardens and Holyrood Park. Unlike the grand State Apartments designed to impress, these are modestly decorated, “lived-in” spaces—rooms where the Queen could retreat between official duties, dine privately with her husband, and prepare for engagements.
The rooms themselves date from the 17th century and have been used by successive monarchs since Queen Victoria’s time. They’re furnished with historic objects from the Royal Collection alongside pieces from Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip’s personal collections, many reflecting their deep and longstanding affection for Scotland.
The tour takes visitors through several spaces, beginning with the Royal Breakfast Room, where the Queen and Prince Philip would dine privately while in residence. The room is hung with magnificent Flemish tapestries woven around 1650, featuring a pergola framing an ornate vase filled with flowers. The tapestries were hung at the request of the Queen’s grandparents, King George V and Queen Mary, in the 1920s.
In the Dressing Room, visitors will see three ensembles from Queen Elizabeth’s wardrobe, each worn during a significant occasion in Edinburgh. For the official opening of the Scottish Parliament on 1 July 1999, she wore a purple coat with a green silk-crepe and lace dress, completed by a shawl of purple and green Isle of Skye tartan woven on the Island of Lewis—an ensemble designed by Sandra Murray that was inspired by the Scottish landscape.
For the Commonwealth Heads of Government reception at the Palace in 1997, the Queen wore a stunning silk evening dress by John Anderson, entirely covered with white, pink, gold, and cream beads and sequins embroidered with gold thread. A third ensemble, worn to the Palace Garden Party in 2017, comprises a white tweed coat with accents of pink, yellow, and green, paired with a pink wool crepe day dress by Karl Ludwig van Rehse.
The tour concludes in the Sitting Room, where the Queen would work—reviewing papers from the Government red dispatch boxes, holding private audiences, or resting between engagements. It was here, often, that she would watch horseracing on television.
Throughout the rooms, visitors will see highlights from Prince Philip’s private art collection. An enthusiastic collector of contemporary Scottish art and Patron of the Royal Scottish Academy, he acquired works by 20th-century Scottish artists over four decades at the RSA’s annual exhibitions, reflecting his deep appreciation of Scotland’s landscapes and wildlife.
The apartments also contain remarkable furniture from the Royal Collection made by the Edinburgh firm of Young, Trotter and Hamilton. These pieces were supplied to the Palace in 1796 in preparation for the arrival of Charles-Philippe, Comte d’Artois—Marie Antoinette’s brother-in-law and future Charles X of France—who took refuge at Holyroodhouse during the French Revolution.
“Queen Elizabeth II’s well-known love for Scotland will be given fresh context through this unique and special access to the private apartments, where visitors will enjoy a new perspective into both the formal and more informal use of Edinburgh’s royal palace,” said Emma Stead, Curator at the Palace of Holyroodhouse.
In late June or early July each year, the Queen would stay at the Palace during “Holyrood Week,” undertaking engagements celebrating Scottish culture, history, and achievement—including an annual Garden Party for around 8,000 guests. These tours offer a rare glimpse into where she stayed and how she lived during those visits.
After the private apartment tour, visitors can explore the rest of the Palace, including the magnificent State Apartments and the historic apartments of Mary, Queen of Scots—all included in the ticket price.
Royal Collection Trust email subscribers received priority booking access from 9 March, but remaining tickets are now on general sale. Given the limited run and the significance of the centenary, these tours are likely to sell out.
Queen Elizabeth II Private Apartment Tours
When: 21 May – 10 September 2026 (100 days only)
Where: Palace of Holyroodhouse, Edinburgh EH8 8DX
Tickets: Combined ticket (Palace admission + Private Apartment Tour) £71 in advance, £75 on the day. Palace-only admission £22 in advance, £26 on the day. £1 tickets available for visitors receiving Universal Credit and other named benefits.
Book: rct.uk or call +44 (0)303 123 7300
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