Queen Elizabeth | House Tour | $69 Million Balmoral Castle & More

Queen Elizabeth II, Britain's longest reigning monarch and a figure of stability throughout a very chaotic century, has passed away at the age of 96. News of her passing came on September 8, 2022 after serving 70 years on the throne. It was announced that Queen Elizabeth died at her summer home in Scotland, Balmora Castle, where her loved ones stayed by her side. Of course, being a Queen and all, that's only one of a handful of homes she's stayed at over the years, including the 775-room Buckingham Palace, of course. In these videos, we don't reveal any addresses and even though I've done a house tour of my own place, please do not show up at any private residences because it's not safe for anyone. Queen Elizabeth II was 96 at the time of her passing on September 8, 2022 and had served 70 years on the throne, being Britain's longest reigning monarch. She was a link to the generation that fought the Second World War and to many, she was the only monarch ever known. It's safe to say that while Queen Elizabeth's life and reign will be celebrated immensely, the impact of her loss will also be huge, for the monarchy and for Britain as well. The Queen's life was marked by the war and, as a princess, she made her first public broadcast in 1940 when she was 14, sending a wartime message to children evacuated to the countryside or overseas. Since February 6, 1952, Elizabeth reigned over a country that was rebuilt from war and had lost its empire, further joining the European Union and then leaving it, as well as transformed from an industrial powerhouse to a 21st century society. Queen Elizabeth proved herself as an icon and a reassuring presence for many. While she passed away at Balmora Castle in Scotland, the Queen enjoyed many properties over the years, including the famed Buckingham Palace, the Royal Windsor Castle in Berkshire, the Palace of Holyrood, also in Scotland, the Sandringham Estate in Norfolk and the Hillsborough Castle in Ireland. Hey guys, it's Kara back with a special house tour today here on Famous Entertainment. We are going to be looking at the royal properties of the late and beloved Queen Elizabeth II. Be sure to like, subscribe and turn on those notifications. Now let's get into this video. Let's kick things off with a look at Queen Elizabeth's primary headquarters, Buckingham Palace. When you consider the fact that the British monarchy has been around for thousands of years to this point, then Buckingham Palace is actually a relatively new addition to their portfolio of homes. Originally built in 1703 as Buckingham House for the 3rd Earl of Mulgrave, John Sheffield, the palace would serve as the home and administrative quarters for the royal family from 1837 on. Today the building is 830,000 square feet in space with 775 rooms including 52 royal and guest bedrooms, 188 staff bedrooms, 92 offices and 78 bathrooms. Does it get any more practical than that? Well how about having a cinema, post office and doctor's office all located on the premises? Oh, and the ATM that lives in the basement. It's only available for private use by the royal family. Yep, they literally print their own money down there. Outside of the gorgeous home, the royal garden occupies 42 acres and includes features such as the rose garden, tennis court and a 3 acre lake. In addition to the garden, the grounds also house a royal museum and the queen's gallery which displays countless works of art that are only a fraction of the total royal collection. Over the centuries the palace has been through many renovations, the most notable probably being during the time of King George IV who commissioned John Nash to extend the palace into a large u-shape and expand the building by adding on additional west wings as well as branches to the north and south. Following George's death in 1830 his brother William IV took the throne but chose to live elsewhere. After William's death in 1837 Queen Victoria became the first monarch to call Buckingham Palace home. To this day Queen Elizabeth II uses this palace to hold diplomatic meetings, host celebrations and as a home for her family. If you ever feel like visiting for yourself you can stop by during a 10 week period each summer and visit the lavishly decorated state rooms including the throne room, picture room, ballroom, grand staircase and the white drawing room. Next up on our tour is the Queen's country home, Windsor Castle. The Queen first moved here with her sister Margaret during World War II for reasons to do with safety. Today the Queen still makes regular trips here on weekends where it serves as her country home not too far from her London home base. Located on a gigantic hill right next door to the River Thames, her property boasts 13 acres of land and 1,000 rooms making it the largest occupied castle in the world. Local residents can always tell if the Queen is visiting by seeing what flag has been hoisted outside. If it's the Union Jack then she's away. If it's the Royal Standard then she's nearby. This home was originally built in the 11th century and since the time of Henry I it's been used by a reigning monarch making it the largest occupied palace in all of Europe. The residences have been described as a superb and unrivaled sequence of the rooms widely regarded as the finest and most complete expression of later Georgian taste. And inside the castle walls is the 15th century St. George Chapel. All in all, Windsor Castle covers 52,609 square feet which amounts to 13 acres and combines the features of a fortification, a palace, and a small town. The present-day castle was built during a few phase building projects and in some reconstruction work after a devastating fire in 1992. As of 2006, around 500 people live and work at the castle year-round and the Queen has increasingly used this location more and more. Alright, two down, four to go. Next up, the Queen's Scottish residence otherwise known as Holyrood Palace. This palace located in Edinburgh is the Queen's official residence whenever she's visiting Scotland and hosts what's known as Royal Week or during the first week of summer each year. Every year in late June or early July, the Queen travels to Scotland for a series of engagement and stays here. The most famous of these annual events is what's known as the Queen's Garden Party which can host as many as up to 8,000 guests. Originally founded in 1128 as a monastery, the palace is as it stands today, was first built between 1671 and 1678. The interior contains separate King and Queen apartment spaces as well as what's known as the Royal Dining Room, the Evening Drawing Room, the Morning Drawing Room, as well as the King's Bedchamber, and the Great Gallery which is the largest room in the palace and links the King's Closet with the Queen's Apartments. The property also houses what's known as James V's Tower and in the 20th century, the palace would be fitted with central heating, new bathrooms, as well as a fully functioning elevator. Oh, and it's also rumoured to be haunted ever since Mary Queen of Scots' private secretary was murdered there. Now, when it gets to be summertime, the Queen spends most of her time at Balmoral Castle, her own private estate also located in Scotland. In fact, not only does she spend every summer here, the home is rumoured to be her favourite residence of all. Princess Eugenie during a recent interview on the documentary Our Queen at 90 had this to say about the home. I think Granny is the most happy here. I think she really, really loves the Highlands. 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. The first home at Balmoral was built in 1390, but the property didn't enter the British royal family until 1852 when Prince Albert purchased the estate as a gift for his wife, Queen Victoria, who loved the Scottish countryside. When the residence was thought to be too small, the royal couple built an additional castle. The new structure was built in 1856 and this 50,000 acre estate now features over 150 buildings in total. In the more recent past, Balmoral has served as a destination for Prince Charles and Princess Diana's honeymoon. While visiting Balmoral, the royals get to act as closely as normal people as they ever do, and the Queen is known to explore the grounds on horseback. Now that we know where the Queen likes to spend her summers, how about the rest of the holidays? Well for that, we've got to take a look at the Sandringham Estate, a versatile home that features everything from fruit farms to a famous museum and garden. The royal family likes to spend every Christmas at this home, which is located just over 100 miles north of London and covers over 20,000 acres of land. While there were plans at one point to demolish the home and replace it with a more modern structure, that never ended up happening. Today, more than 200 people make their living on this estate, including games keepers, gardeners, farmers, as well as workers for Sandringham's sawmill and its apple juice pressing plant. It's become tradition for the Finally, let's take a quick look at the Queen's Irish residence, Hillsborough Castle. Not unlike how Elizabeth stays at Holyrood House when she's visiting Scotland, she stays here during her visits to Northern Ireland and even used to make frequent stops here in her childhood for family holidays. Built in the 1770s, this home is surrounded by 100 acres of green gardens and serves as the official residence of Northern Ireland's Secretary of State. The castle is built in an amazing late Georgian style, and if you'd like, you can tour the property and visit the castle's state rooms, including the elegant dining room, as well as the throne room. While you're there, be sure to check out some of the royal's most treasured pieces of art, as a massive collection is spread out throughout the home. Alright guys, that's gonna bring our tour of Queen Elizabeth's six sprawling and super royal properties to a close. What did you guys think? Which estate would you like to spend most of your own time at? Let me know in the comments down below. Personally, I love any castle, but I can't stop thinking about how Holyrood Palace has a separate set of both King and Queen apartments. I guess it's good if you like your space. Thanks for watching! Don't forget to follow me on Instagram and I will see you all in the next video. Bye guys!