Description of the attraction
Holyrood House Palace is the official residence of the King (Queen) of Great Britain in Scotland. The palace is located in the old part of Edinburgh, and the Royal Mile connects it with Edinburgh Castle.
Once on this place was the Holyrood Abbey (Abbey of the Holy Cross), founded by King David I of Scotland. The abbey held meetings of the nobility, held coronations and royal weddings. Already at the end of the 15th century, the abbey had separate royal apartments, and at the beginning of the 16th century, King James IV was building a palace adjacent to the abbey. The royal residence moves from Edinburgh Castle to the palace. After James VI became king of England and Scotland, he moved his residence to London. The Duke of Hamilton was appointed Guardian of the Palace, and his descendants still carry out this honorable duty.
In the 17th century, large construction and restoration work was carried out in the palace, but after the Union of 1707 the palace was not used for its intended purpose and fell into decay. The abbey is being destroyed, but the first tourists appear here already at the end of the 18th century. The then Duke of Hamilton allowed those wishing to see Mary Stuart's apartments in the northwest tower for a fee.
Only in 1822 did King George IV revive the tradition of visiting Holyrood House. And although the monarchs for a long time - until Queen Victoria - do not stay in this palace, the palace is being restored, rebuilt, re-finished and decorated. By special royal decree, Mary Stuart's apartments are preserved as they were. At the beginning of the 20th century, for the visit of George V, electricity and central heating appeared in the palace. Since 1920, Holyrood Palace has been the official residence of British monarchs in Scotland. Elizabeth II comes here every summer, the rest of the time the palace is open to the public.
The halls of the palace are decorated with alabaster stucco, frescoes by Dutch and Italian masters, tapestries. The Grand Gallery, which connects the former apartments of the king and queen, displays portraits of 110 Scottish kings, starting with the legendary Fergus I, who ruled in 330 BC.
