Balmoral Castle: The Scottish residence where Queen Elizabeth II spent her final days

Why the Queen loved Balmoral Castle Royal commentator Afua Hagan speaks to CTV's Your Morning about the significance of Balmoral Castle to Queen Elizabeth II.

After seven decades on the throne — the longest for any British monarch — Queen Elizabeth II died Thursday at 96.

The Queen passed away at her Scottish summer residence known as Balmoral Castle, Buckingham Palace previously announced.

The symbolism behind Queen Elizabeth II spending her final days at Balmoral highlights not only the importance of the residence in her life but also of Scotland's role in the United Kingdom, one royal expert says.

"It's very, very important and I think it's very significant and very beautiful that the Queen died in her favourite place," royal commentator Afua Hagan told CTV's Your Morning on Friday.

"She had Buckingham Palace, she had Windsor Castle, but Balmoral was home. That's where she really felt home."

WHAT IS BALMORAL CASTLE?

Balmoral is a 50,000-acre estate in Aberdeenshire, Scotland, that served as the Queen's private residence, rather than a royal residence belonging to the Crown estate.

Purchased in 1852 by Prince Albert as a gift for his wife Queen Victoria, the current castle was completed in 1856.

The Queen famously spent summer vacations there, dating back to her childhood.

She spent part of her honeymoon with Prince Philip, who died in April 2021, at Birkhall, a country home on the Balmoral estate.

Prince Charles and Princess Diana spent their honeymoon at Balmoral. The estate is also where Prince Harry and Prince William were when they learned of their mother's death in 1997.

In a first, the Queen appointed new U.K. Prime Minister Liz Truss at Balmoral earlier this week.

"It's a place ... that was popular with her," Hagan said. "That's where she got engaged, she just loved spending her summers there, and actually, that's where her and Prince Philip had their happiest of times. So many beautiful pictures taken on that estate."

KEEPING THE UNION TOGETHER

The Queen's body is expected to move from Balmoral Castle to the nearby church, Crathie Kirk, before moving to Holyrood Palace in the Scottish capital, Edinburgh.

Once in Edinburgh, a ceremonial procession to St. Giles Cathedral along the city's Royal Mile will take place before the Royal Train takes the Queen's remains to London.

The Queen's 73-year-old son, Prince Charles, who assumes the new role and title of King Charles III, will embark on a tour of the U.K. in the coming days, with a visit to Scotland included on that trip.

It comes as Scotland's First Minister, Nicola Sturgeon, pushes for a second referendum on Scottish independence, following a previous unsuccessful vote in 2014.

"And I think, actually, the fact that the Queen died in Scotland shows Scotland's significance to the union and to the United Kingdom," Hagan said.

"Now, Prince Charles is going to have a real effort to try and keep this union together and the fact that the body will be going to Holyrood Castle, being there for a while before it's transported back down to London, I think is significant, as well. And he will lean on that in a way as a way of keeping the union together and keeping Scotland in the flag."

With files from CTVNews.ca Writer Tom Yun, The Associated Press, Reuters and CNN