King Charles makes surprise decision to open most private home to public for first time

King Charles is set to make royal history this summer, as he prepares to open Balmoral Castle to the public for the first time since the castle was completed in 1855.

Guided tours will be available from July 1 to August 4, before the King and Queen arrive for their summer break in Scotland, with each group restricted to 10 people.

Tickets for the "castle interior tour", priced £100 or £150 with afternoon tea included, are limited to 40 tickets per day and are already selling fast.

Balmoral has long been a deeply private retreat for the royal family, as was the one place on earth the late Queen Elizabeth II was considered to be her "happiest".

Located over 50,000 remote acres in Aberdeenshire, Scotland, the idyllic bolthole has been frequented by monarchs for centuries. Princess Eugenie said of Her Late Majesty's love of Scotland: "I think Granny is the most happy there. I think she really, really loves the Highlands."

Queen Victoria shared the Queen's love of Balmoral, describing it as "my dear paradise in the Highlands". She wrote in her diary: "All seemed to breathe freedom and peace and to make one forget the world and its sad turmoils."

While existing tours of the grounds, gardens and ballroom have been running for a number of years, news that King Charles has chosen to open the previously-unseen wings of the castle may come as a surprise to royal fans.

The late Queen's former press secretary Dickie Arbiter previously spoke to HELLO! about the monarch's lifelong love affair with the Scottish highlands.

"She has been going there regularly from the middle to the end of July right through to the beginning of October since she came to the throne," Dickie said. "It's just home from home, a place where she can just get away from it all, putting her feet up and give her the chance to just enjoy two months of holiday."

As well as holding a library of happy memories, some of the royal's darkest times have been witnessed within the walls of the 19th century castle. When news broke of Princess Diana's death, Prince William and Prince Harry were on holiday at Balmoral with their father and grandparents.

"I was in Balmoral when I was told that my mother had died. Still in shock, I found sanctuary in the service at Crathie Kirk that very morning," Prince William said in the BBC documentary, Diana. "And in the dark days of grief that followed, I found comfort and solace in the Scottish outdoors. As a result, the connection I feel to Scotland will forever run deep."

Balmoral Castle was also where the Queen took her last breath, choosing to be at the place she loved most in the world for her final days of life, surrounded by her closest family members.

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Danielle Stacey, HELLO!'s Online Royal Correspondent, revealed why King Charles may have made the unexpected decision to open up the royal family's most private residence to the public.

"I understand that the King has very much wanted to make many of the royal residences more accessible to the public, especially ones that are not in use all year round.

"It's one of His Majesty's many moves to make the monarchy more transparent, especially in the time of a cost of living crisis. It's been widely reported that he wants to transform the likes of Sandringham, Balmoral, Windsor Castle and Buckingham Palace from 'private spaces to public places'.

"Typically, the royal family spend their summer break in August at Balmoral so visitors will get a glimpse of their Scottish quarters before they arrive," says Danielle.