Balmoral is often referred to as the Queen's "favourite place" and she is said to never be happier than when staying there.
She travels to the estate in Aberdeenshire each summer, with members of her family invited to spend time with her while she is there. Balmoral Castle was handed down to her through generations of royals after being bought for Queen Victoria by Prince Albert in 1852.
The Queen 's traditional annual stay at the main property - after a break at Craigowan Lodge on the estate in July - usually stretches through August and September and into October. This year she travelled to Balmoral on July 21 and remained at the estate to appoint a new Prime Minister there for the first time in her reign on Tuesday.
