Beyond the palace gates and away from the glare of the public spotlight, Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip forged a private life, however unusual it may have been. The couple, who were married for more than 73 years until the Duke of Edinburgh’s death in 2021, would discuss the day’s headlines over breakfast, and swap stories as they watched horse racing on the television.
Understandably, the private realms in which these quiet, simple moments unfolded are kept under lock and key. Some continue to be used by King Charles III, Queen Camilla, and other members of the family; others feel too deeply personal to share with the world.
Now, however, the doors are being opened to Queen Elizabeth II’s personal rooms within the grandeur of the Palace of Holyroodhouse in Edinburgh. For the first time ever, visitors will be able to tour her apartments, in their “lived-in” state. The tour will offer a look through the keyhole at how the palace looked while the Queen and Prince Philip were in residence—and an opportunity to see up close some of the royal artifacts and personal treasures with which they adorned their space.
The Royal Breakfast Room, where the Queen and Prince Philip would dine privately, is hung with magnificent Flemish tapestries, woven around 1650, featuring a beautiful design of a pergola framing an ornate vase filled with flowers. The tapestries were hung in the room in the 1920s at the request of Queen Elizabeth’s grandparents, King George V and Queen Mary. In the center of the room is a small, circular table, set with simple crockery that’s a far cry from the ornate dinner service put on display for state banquets and formal occasions.
