View from north

Description View from north

Date 4/6/2001

Collection Records of the Royal Commission on the Ancient and Historical Monuments of Scotland (RCAHMS), Edinbu

Catalogue Number SC 769034

Category On-line Digital Images

Copy of E 15693 CN

Scope and Content King George V's Memorial, Balmoral Estate, Aberdeenshire This granite memorial to King George V, grandson of Queen Victoria, is set in the grounds close to the castle. It was erected in 1936 'in humble loyalty and affection by employees and tenants on Balmoral, Birkhall and Abergeldie Estates' in the form of a bench seat, and takes full advantage of the beautiful views over the River Dee. King George V succeeded to the throne in 1910. He continued the slow modernisations of the castle and estate that his father, King Edward VII, had begun, but the outbreak of World War I in 1914 effectively stopped his visits to Balmoral. After the war, his autumn holidays resumed, and included fishing on the River Dee, which he loved, and stalking (he was reputedly the best shot in Britain). Like Queen Victoria, he knew all his tenants and their children, and could talk to his employees with an informality that often astounded them. He established the tradition of a weekend visit to Balmoral from the Prime Minister, and entertained the first Labour ministers at the castle. He died in 1936. The Balmoral estate was bought in 1852 by Prince Albert and Queen Victoria at their own expense as a Highland retreat from the stresses of London life. Prince Albert initiated many improvements, including the building of a new holiday home, Balmoral Castle, in 1853-5. On Queen Victoria's death in 1901, the castle and estate passed to her successors, and Balmoral became a favourite holiday residence for successive generations of the royal family. Source: RCAHMS contribution to SCRAN.

Permalink http://canmore.org.uk/collection/769034

File Format (TIF) Tagged Image File Format bitmap