An invitation to stay at Balmoral Castle is an exclusive honour and a rite of passage for anyone hoping to marry into the royal family.
It's become known informally as the "Balmoral Test" – with famous participants including Princess Diana, Princess Kate, Meghan Markle, and Harriet Phillips. Though not an official test, it offers royal boyfriends and girlfriends the chance to see whether they would fit in with the family's outdoorsy lifestyle.
Ruthie Henshall, the ex-girlfriend of Prince Edward, told HELLO!'s A Right Royal Podcast that she was once summoned to the royal family's Scottish estate – and shared what it was really like.
West End star Ruthie, 59, told us that she was welcomed with her own personal maid before going for a cookout without security – and was astonished when King Charles started "manning the bar".
To hear about her experience and what the Balmoral Test is really like, you can watch the latest episode of HELLO!'s A Right Royal Podcast above.
Though she "didn't know what to expect", Ruthie said her time at Balmoral was "surreal" and wasn't what she'd anticipated.
She said: "They were all quite jolly. I think everyone was jolly by the time we'd had a few martinis. Charles was manning the bar. He made me a very strong martini. He probably did that on purpose."
Balmoral Castle's special place in the royal family's hearts
Balmoral in Scotland was famously the late Queen Elizabeth II's favourite royal residence and was where she passed away in September 2022.
It's also a fond spot for other members of the family, and King Charles typically spends his summer holidays there.
© Bettmann ArchivePrincess Beatrice once said, "It's the most beautiful place on earth."
She added, "I think Granny is happiest there. 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.
© Max Cisotti/Dave Benett/Getty Im"Family-wise, we're all there, so 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."
Ruthie is the author of the new book, The Showgirl And The Prince, which is out now.
