Palace of Holyroodhouse, Edinburgh

Whilst visiting Edinburgh, I got the opportunity to visit the Palace of Holyroodhouse with my family. I have never been round the grounds of Buckingham Palace but I feel the palace in Edinburgh is more beautiful and elegant. The place had a warming and welcoming atmosphere. All of the staff were friendly and helpful as well as informative. 

I was impressed by the audio machines they had there. When you went into each room of the palace, you could press the play button and listen to a person telling you about the history of the room. The audio machines gave you more of an insight to the past and history of the palace. However, I feel that someone who works there should give visitors a tour and tell them about the history of the palace themselves. On the other hand, I did speak to some of the staff there about the history of the palace. 

I loved all the tapestries and paintings in the Palace. Surprisingly, many paintings were ruined in 1746 and how they look today is amazing. There is still some damage to them but they are still in good condition. The dining room is picturesque and elegant. I think the dining table held 18-20 people. The pottery and cookery was classy. 

The actor, Shaun Connery, was knighted by Queen Elizabeth II at the Palace of Holyroodhouse in July 2000. Just last week, Prince Edward and his family visited Holyroodhouse. It was interesting to hear that over 8,000 Scottish people get invited to one of Her Majesty's parties.

The Palace of Holyroodhouse gave a positive representation of Queen Elizabeth II. The audio machine said that Elizabeth greets people with a friendly manner and does her homework on everyone she meets. When people get the opportunity to meet Elizabeth II at one of her parties, she knows about people who attend and starts a really good conversation.

The statues of Charles I and Mary Queen of Scots were great to see. Luxurious bed frames and sheets were vintage and not what I expected. The Royal Crown Jewels and British medals really amazed me. The medals were for all different things. Like there was an ambulance, British Empire and military medals. The medals were numbered and at the bottom of the showcase it told you what each medal was for. 

Unfortunately, I could not see the last two rooms because they were upstairs. The staff at the palace allowed me to use the lift, which Queen Elizabeth II uses. 

Since I studied Paradise Lost as part of my A Level English Literature, visiting a Royalist place really made my studies worthwhile. Paradise Lost seems to be a reflection of the English Civil War and divide of the Scottish and English as well as Royalists and Parliamentarians. We also studied William Shakespeare's 'The Tempest', which also assessed the power of the monarchy and Divine Rights of King. Interestingly, James 6th of Scotland and 1st of England's vintage bed was created to convey power and status. I feel that my contextual knowledge of the Stuart family and rest of the Royal history for English Lit has paid off. It's amazing how you can remember information from your studies over time.

We also visited the Palace Cafe, which offers a variety of drinks and foods. I had a delicious chocolate brownie. I felt I had a royal, tasty chocolate brownie. 

I really wanted to take photos of the rooms in the palace but it is better that cameras aren't allowed inside to protect the grounds. It was lovely to take photographs of the building and gardens. You get a spectacular view of Arthur Seat from the gardens. One of the lovely ladies that worked there, informed us that the Queen had her annual visit end of June// beginning of July and she got the opportunity to go to one of her parties. 

The gift shop is luxurious and elegant with high quality merchandises. They have products that cater for all people from stationery to beautiful tea sets. 

I would also like to say, when you visit Palace of Holyroodhouse, you get a year free pass. If you have already visited, you can go back for free but has to be before the month  that you went to the previous year. My dad told me that most heritage and historical places give free year passes so they get more tourists and visitors. 

I would  recommend going to the Palace of Holyroodhouse. It is aesthetically pleasing, historical and an amazing experience. Visiting a royal palace is another place ticked off my bucket list.

Love always,

Paige xo