A family affair! When Queen Elizabeth II began her annual tour of Scotland in June 2021, she had a special guest — her grandson Prince William.
The tour, known as Royal Week or Holyrood Week, takes place each summer and celebrates “Scottish culture, achievement and communities,” according to the royal family’s website. In 2021, the trip marked the first time the queen had visited Scotland since the death of her husband, Prince Philip, in April 2021.
“I have noted on previous occasions my great affection for Scotland, and the many happy and personal connections I enjoy with this wonderful country,” the monarch said in a 2019 speech commemorating the 20th anniversary of Scottish Parliament. “It has been with great pleasure that over the years I have watched Scotland grow and prosper.”
One of the queen’s most famous homes, Balmoral Castle, is located in Scotland. Queen Victoria purchased the property in 1852, and her husband, Prince Albert, worked on renovating the house and grounds until his death in 1861.
“It’s the most beautiful place on Earth,” the queen’s granddaughter Princess Eugenie said in 2020. “I think Granny is the most happy there. I think she really, really loves the Highlands.”
The monarch and various members of the royal family usually spend much of the summer at Balmoral, which is also open to the public from April through July. “Walks, picnics, dogs — a lot of dogs, there’s always dogs — and people coming in and out all the time,” Eugenie added, explaining what the family does in the Scottish countryside. “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.”
During Royal Week, however, the queen doesn’t have much time to relax at Balmoral, and instead spends her days meeting the people of Scotland. The week begins with a visit to Edinburgh, where the Lord Provost offers her the keys to the city during the Ceremony of the Keys. Later, she hosts a garden party for as many as 8,000 people at the Palace of Holyroodhouse.
In 2021, she began her trip with a visit to Cumbernauld, a city near Glasgow, where she and William visited the A.G. Barr factory, which produces a popular Scottish soft drink called Irn-Bru. The pair also met with local first responders to thank them for their work during the coronavirus pandemic.
Keep scrolling to see photos from the queen’s 2021 Royal Week trip: