King Charles has submitted plans to turn part of the Balmoral estate into a wedding venue.
A licensing application has been submitted to Aberdeenshire council for a “major variation” to the Queen’s Building, which is but a stone’s throw away from the historic castle.
The plans include changing the layout, as well as increasing capacity and making an outdoor patio available to use.
Should the council say “I do” to the proposed plans, the Queen’s Building will become an events space for “weddings, dinners, meetings and other events”, although plans state that such gatherings would be “rare throughout the year”.
It is much easier for spaces to become wedding venues in Scotland compared to the rest of the UK; venues do not need a wedding licence, typically carried by celebrant, which allows a wider variety of places to host matrimonial ceremonies.
The suggested plans come as the King opened up parts of the Scottish estate to the visiting public, offering guided tours through the heart of the castle for the first time this summer for £100 a ticket. Afternoon tea was also available to those visiting for an additional £50. This venture has now been expanded to the winter months, with afternoon tea swapped for a seven-course meal with paired wine for £250 a head.
The King also plans to open the estate's Thistle Maze to the public at a later date.
Charles does not stay at Balmoral, where the late Queen Elizabeth II passed away in 2022, when he visits Aberdeenshire. Instead, he opts to stay at Birkhall, the long-time residence of the Queen Mother.
Should the plans be approved, events being held at the Queen’s Building will help pay Balmoral’s high running costs. The estate is thought to cost around £3 million a year to run, with £1 million paying for staff.
The original Balmoral Castle was built as a hunting lodge in the 14th century. Queen Victoria decided this castle was too small, and the estate as we know it now was expanded between 1853 and 1855.
King Charles has proven himself particularly enterprising since taking the throne; he also launched his own fragrance earlier this year, inspired by his Highgrove Estate gardens.
