King Charles submits plan to turn Balmoral into fairytale wedding venue

Childhood dreams of a royal wedding may now become reality, as the King looks to open up the historic Balmoral estate to the public.

On the banks of Aberdeenshire’s River Dee, the world-famous royal Scottish residence has been a private property of the monarch since 1852, serving as the death place of the late Queen Elizabeth in 2022.

In what could become a dream-come-true for royal enthusiasts looking to tie the knot, Charles has now submitted plans to allow a part of the Balmoral estate, the Queen’s Building, to be used as a fairytale wedding venue and reception space for other events.

The King has increasingly opened up the royal estate to the public, preferring instead to stay at Birkhall, the former residence of the Queen Mother, when he travels north for a countryside escape.

In Scotland, wedding venues do not need a licence carried by a registrar or priest for a marriage to be legitimate, due to more relaxed laws.

A ‘major variation” could soon be underway after a licensing application was submitted to Aberdeenshire council to change the layout, increasing capacity from 250 to 277 people on the inside and 40 to 144 on the outside, The Times reported.

“The Queen’s building part of the premises may be used for weddings, dinners, meetings and associated events … These events may involve live performances and dancing where alcohol may be sold up to 12.30am,” the licensing application read. The documents promise that the events will be “rare throughout the year”.

The council will make a decision on whether regulations should be applied for the patio, including a ban on amplified music, despite the huge grounds surrounding the Balmoral buildings.

There is “no such prospect of neighbours being disturbed” by noise, the estate argues, while accepting that such rules are “sensible when applied to urban premises”. The application nonetheless promises to keep music at a “low level” through three speakers.

Staff will be “trained and supervised to ensure that no alcohol will be sold to children or young persons”, it added.

While events and weddings at Balmoral would be new, it is already open to the public to visit on certain dates throughout the year.

An “adults only” guided tour was on offer inside the castle for £100, with afternoon tea added for an extra £50. It took just 24 hours for tickets to sell out. Further dates were announced in December for visitors to enjoy a seven-course locally sourced meal, paired with wine, for £250 per head.

With a reported £3 million-a-year running cost, Balmoral ticket sales - which amount to around £500,000 a year from 75,000 visitors - help to cover the huge expense.

The Queen’s building, which the estate hopes to licence out for weddings, was initially designed as staff accommodation and a canteen when it was first built in the late 1980s.

After the Queen’s death in September 2022, it was thought the house might be earmarked as a place of remembrance. But sources earlier this year that the Balmoral building was too fragile to be used as a large-scale visitor attraction, The Times reported.