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The Queen has kept this unusual home feature for two centuries

The monarch has kept traditional Scottish decorations


queen balmoral© Photo: Getty Images
Nichola Murphy
Deputy Lifestyle Editor
April 14, 2021
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From luxurious gold accents to solid wooden furniture, there are certain interior styles that are synonymous with royal households.

MORE: Prince Philip's lasting legacy at the Queen's summer home revealed

However, the Queen has kept one slightly more unusual feature at her Scottish home, Balmoral Castle, since the 1800s.

When the property was owned by Queen Victoria, after her husband Prince Albert purchased it for her in 1852, pictures suggest that decorations included patterned walls covered with large framed paintings, as well as traditional Scottish tartan accents.

WATCH: See inside Balmoral, the royal family's idyllic Scottish retreat

An illustration of Queen Victoria's drawing room shows sofas, seat cushions and curtains all following the plaid theme, while Prince Albert's sitting room supposedly featured tartan carpets and floral curtains that matched the upholstery.

So what decorations did Balmoral have 200 years later? Plenty of the same Highland details, particularly red and grey carpets – which is believed to be the Balmoral tartan designed by Prince Albert in 1853.

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prince albert balmoral© Photo: Getty Images

Queen Victoria and Prince Albert decorated Balmoral with tartan features, including Albert's sitting room (above)

The Queen appears to have kept her study at Balmoral Castle very traditional, at least until 1972 when a photo showed the monarch sitting at her carved wooden desk with the same patterned carpets and curtains.

However, recent pictures have shown that other areas of the royal residence such as the drawing room follow a largely green colour scheme, including the carpets and sofas.

Balmoral Castle acts as the Queen's holiday home where Her Majesty and her late husband Prince Philip spent many summers. 

queen carpets© Photo: Getty Images

The Queen's study featured tartan carpets in 1972

The historic estate, which is privately owned by the royal family, is one of Her Majesty's favourite places in the world which she famously called a "paradise in the Highlands". The monarch often invites other royals such as Prince Charles and Camilla and the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge to join her at the castle.

Located in Royal Deeside, Aberdeenshire, the estate is set amid mountains, lochs and glens, and is an idyllic spot for the royal family to enjoy their holidays. 

Her Majesty usually starts the break in the seven-bedroom Craigowan Lodge on the estate while the castle is still open to the public, before moving into the main house in August.

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