king charles Traditionally enjoying a royal summer holiday in Scotland, the royals swap the hustle and bustle of city life for the countryside at their primary residence, Clarence House. balmoral Castle.
While Balmoral is his private royal residence in Aberdeenshire, the monarch’s official residence in Scotland is Palace of Holyroodhouse in Edinburgh. Charles often spends a week of the summer holidays at the estate for Royal Week, but the Royal Collection Trust reported that in the past, he has been joined by a number of “non-human” guests.
Next to a carousel of images of local wildlife on Instagram, RCT wrote: “We share the Palace of Holyroodhouse in Edinburgh with many creatures, swipe up to see some of our non-human visitors.
“Here we’ve caught a nesting kestrel, a tawny owl, a courageous fox cub (who once stole a gardener’s jumper!) and a brightly colored male partridge. Deer have also visited the castle (rather than thought given the legend about a deer vision that inspired the building of Holyrood Abbey), and plenty of birds, including a blue rat That one security camera was a nest box!”
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The legend behind the Palace of Holyroodhouse
According to 12th-century legend, King David I of Scotland was hunting at the foot of Arthur’s Seat, now Holyrood Park, on the Feast of the Holy Cross on 14 September, when a white deer knocked him from his horse.
The Palace of Holyroodhouse is in Edinburgh, Scotland (@Royal Collection Trust)
As the king prayed on the ground, a shining cross appeared between the deer’s horns, causing it to turn and run away. In gratitude for his narrow escape, King David built Holyrood Abbey (known as the Abbey of the Holy Cross) in 1128.
The symbol of a stag’s head with a cross remains a prominent motif in Edinburgh, including the Palace of Holyroodhouse and Canongate Kirk, where Zara and Mike Tindall married in 2011.
Inside the royal family’s Scottish residence
King Charles spends time at the royal residence for Royal Week (@Getty)
King David I originally founded Holyrood Abbey as an Augustinian monastery in 1128. It was not until about 1501 that King James IV converted the guesthouse into a royal palace, making it the home of kings for over 500 years.
The palace underwent several renovations, but Charles II was responsible for the construction of the upper floor where the private apartments of the royals are located.
Explaining the importance of the palace to the royal families, Danielle Stacey, our online royal correspondentSaid: “The Palace of Holyroodhouse is set in the breathtakingly beautiful Holyrood Park, which is also home to the ancient Arthur’s Seat.
“Although the castle resembles an official residence and is conveniently located just a short walk from the Scottish Parliament, it is steeped in history and has been home to many important royals, including Mary, Queen of Scots.
“Within the modern monarchy, it hosts the annual garden party and is central to the royal family’s Holyrood Week celebrations.”