It’s said to be the Queen’s favourite home, the only place where she can truly relax and take stock amid the demands of public life.
But a new Channel 5 documentary has revealed the slightly darker heart of Balmoral, the vast 50,000 acre estate in the Scottish Highlands beloved of the royal family since the reign of Queen Victoria.
Inside Balmoral reveals how Wallis Simpson, the divorcee for whom King Edward VIII abdicated, was snubbed by the Queen Mother who ‘swished past’ her when she hosted a dinner at the castle in 1936.
The then Duchess of York’s refusal to acknowledge Mrs Simpson led to tension from which family relations ‘almost never recovered’, and proved that Wallis had failed the so-called ‘Balmoral test’.
Sarah Gristwood, historian explained: ‘That epitomises what Balmoral has come to mean in terms of the royal family.
‘If you like, Balmoral is a kind of test and some newcomers pass and some newcomers fail.’
A new documentary reveals how Wallis Simpson, pictured with King Edward VIII at Balmoral in 1936, was snubbed by the then Duchess of York at the Scottish estate
The vast 50,000 acre estate in the Scottish Highlands has been a retreat for the royal family since the reign of Queen Victoria
The Duke and Duchess of York pictured with Queen Mary at Balmoral estate in Scotland in 1925
The documentary reveals how a visit to the royal’s most private residence can determine your likelihood of being accepted into the family or not.
In 1936, Mrs Simpson was holidaying at Balmoral as a guest of King Edward who did ‘the unthinkable’ by giving her such a significant role at a family occasion.
‘When the Duke and Duchess of York came over to Balmoral for dinner, they weren’t at all pleased to find Mrs Simpson acting as hostess.
‘The Duchess of York swished past Mrs Simpson and went to look for His Majesty. It was a complete slap in the face.
‘Family relations really almost never recovered from that evening.
Hugo Vickers, author of Elizabeth, The Queen Mother added: ‘Edward was besotted with Mrs Simpson.
‘He was allowing her, encouraging her to act as hostess, he of course wanted her to have the highest position in the land.’
Three months later Edward abdicated, paving the way for his brother to become King George VI.
The King was to later host a young Prince Philip as a guest at Balmoral who did his best to impress him, by employing his sense of humour.
‘It was the first time Prince Philip wore a kilt at Balmoral. To disguise his awkwardness, he performed a sort of mock curtsy to the King,’ royal biographer Philip Eade explained.
Edward gave up the throne in 1936, allowing him to marry Mrs Simpson at the Chateau de Conde, near Tours, France
Balmoral is said to be the Queen’s favourite residence and the one place where she can truly escape from the spotlight
‘But it didn’t go down the way he’d hoped, the King appeared to be slightly unamused.’
However, Philip did pass his Balmoral test when the then Princess Elizabeth accepted his proposal, going against her parents hopes for her to marry a Grenadier Guard.
‘It’s really the only time the present Queen did something dramatically out of step,’ Eade explained.
Inside Balmoral is available to view on my5.tv