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Bedroom transformation inside the Queen's home revealed in before and after photos

Inside Her Majesty's official Scottish residence


queen palace of holyroodhouse
Nichola Murphy
Deputy Lifestyle Editor
June 15, 2021
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The Queen's official residence in Scotland is the Palace of Holyroodhouse in Edinburgh, and fans have been given a rare look inside one of the grandest bedrooms of the royal home.

READ: Inside the Queen's magical Scottish mansion

On Instagram, The Royal Collection Trust shared before and after photos that reveal how the room looked in the 19th-century when Mary, Queen of Scots was living there, compared to how it is decorated today.

In the initial painting, the bedchamber has wooden floors, a large fireplace, a decorative oak ceiling and a painted frieze. A red four-poster bed sat in the corner of the room while several pictures hung on the wall and a desk was positioned on the left-hand side.

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Today, the room has the same ceiling and curtain leading out onto the Supper Room where Queen Mary witnessed the death of her private secretary, David Rizzio. However, it now boasts darker floors and a bed with blue and gold embroidered 17th-century hangings, which matches the upholstered chairs.

The caption read: "This painting shows Mary, Queen of Scots’ Bedchamber in the Palace of Holyroodhouse as it looked in the mid-19th century. Swipe to see the Bedchamber as it looks today. You may notice the bed is different!

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View post on Instagram
 

The Royal Collection Trust shared pictures inside the Queen's Scottish home

"The red bed in the painting was falsely presented to visitors as one in which Mary slept – Sir Walter Scott called it ‘the couch of the rose of Scotland’ – but it was made for the Duke of Hamilton in the 1680s, over a century after the queen’s execution. Today the red bed is on display in the King’s Bedchamber."

Fans were delighted to catch a glimpse inside the room, where the royal lived between 1561-1567. "The ceiling!" commented one, followed by a fire emoji, while another added: "I want a bed like this."

palace of holyroodhouse

Photos revealed Mary, Queen of Scots’ bedchamber in the Palace of Holyroodhouse

The Palace of Holyroodhouse began as a monastery but has been home to the royal family for over 500 years. 

Her Majesty typically spends a week during the summer in residence to mark Holyrood Week, which would include hosting formal receptions including state visits, ceremonies and garden parties. The home and its grounds also open to the public when the Queen is not in residence – and it has recently opened up again following the pandemic.

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