Queen Elizabeth’s cherished Balmoral, where she could live like ‘normal people’, now under police inquiry over Epstein reports

Police Scotland is conducting “active inquiries” following reports involving former Prince Andrew and Jeffrey Epstein at Balmoral Castle, the famous Scottish royal retreat where the late Queen Elizabeth cherished spending time away from public life. They have confirmed on October 30 that the inquiries were at a “very early stage” and that it would be inappropriate to comment further, BBC reported.

The Scottish Daily Express reported that the inquiry is related to the alleged trafficking of women to the royal estate, where Andrew reportedly entertained convicted sex offender Epstein, who died in 2019, and his longtime associate Ghislaine Maxwell, who was jailed in 2022 for sex trafficking charges.

Asked about the Express report, a Police Scotland spokesperson told the BBC: “We have received information and active inquiries are ongoing but these are at a very early stage.”


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“All inquiries are evidence led, with the needs of victim survivors at the heart of those inquiries,” adding, “We would never confirm details of ongoing inquiries and it would be inappropriate to comment further.”

Balmoral, where Queen Elizabeth could do ‘what normal people did’

Outside the ongoing inquiry, Balmoral Castle holds a personal place in the history of the British royal family. Queen Elizabeth was in this 53,000-acre estate in her final days and died on September 8, 2022.

This Aberdeenshire estate traditionally was the setting for the royal family’s private summer getaways. Commenting on what Balmoral meant to her grandmother, Princess Eugenie said in the 2016 documentary Our Queen at Ninety, “I think Granny is the most happy there. I think she really, really loves the Highlands.”

Sir Malcolm Ross, the former Comptroller of the Royal Household who died in 2019, told the BBC in an earlier interview that Balmoral was always a time for family and the simple reason why the Queen loved it so much. “The weather's not perfect, but it's the setting, it's the place, it's the atmosphere, it's the feel,” he said.

“It's the wide open spaces. No distractions, no aeroplanes, no noise, no traffic. Just this lovely estate where she can freely roam everywhere,” he added.

The Queen “can relax, with her dogs, just doing what she thought normal people did, and indeed what normal people do,” he explained.

Balmoral’s history as a royal retreat

Queen Victoria’s husband, Prince Albert, bought the castle and the surrounding estate in Aberdeenshire in 1852. The estate initially covered 17,000 acres; later it was expanded to over 53,000 acres, as per its website.

The estate covers “areas of moorland and heath, towering hills and rare, protected woodland habitats, as well as the immediate surroundings of the castle, with well-kept lawns and gardens bursting with native species, to mazes and a 9-hole golf course,” the site says.

The Queen once said, “You can go out for miles and never see anybody; there are endless possibilities,” per Balmoral’s website.

King Charles, while addressing the Scottish Parliament in 2024, said his mother “chose” Balmoral as the place to spend her last days because of her love for the estate and Scotland.

“My late mother especially treasured the time spent at Balmoral, and it was there, in the most beloved of places, where she chose to spend her final days,” the King said.