Overview
- The private apartments at the Palace of Holyroodhouse, which opened on Thursday, May 21, are available on bookable guided tours running daily through 10 September 2026.
- Curators present rooms in a deliberate 'lived-in' state to show domestic items such as the Haddington teddy, a Commonwealth Games pin cushion, three outfits for Edinburgh engagements, and the Queen’s writing desk with two red despatch boxes.
- Staff and curators say the display highlights private routines, noting the Queen’s breakfast habit between about 9am and 9.15am with the piper playing and newspapers delivered, and the way objects were positioned to her precise wishes.
- Tours are limited, require a separate ticket from standard palace admission, include a one-hour guided visit plus access to the rest of Holyroodhouse, and will pause during the King’s annual Holyrood Week when the sovereign is in residence.
- King Charles authorised the temporary 100-day season to mark what would have been his mother’s 100th birthday and the rooms—dating from the 17th century and used by monarchs since Victoria—offer the public new insight into the personal side of the monarchy and its working palace functions.