Editing Balmoral Castle (section)

===Victoria and Albert at Balmoral===
Even before the completion of the new house, the pattern of the life of the royal couple in the Highlands was soon established. Victoria took long walks of up to four hours daily and Albert spent many days hunting deer and game. In 1849, diarist [[Charles Greville (diarist)|Charles Greville]] described their life at Balmoral as resembling that of gentry rather than royalty.<ref>Millar, p. 44</ref> Victoria began a policy of commissioning artists to record Balmoral, its surroundings, and its staff. Over the years, numerous painters were employed at Balmoral, including [[Edwin Landseer|Edwin]] and [[Charles Landseer]], and [[Carl Haag]].{{Citation needed|date=May 2024}}

During the 1850s, new plantations were established near the house and exotic [[conifer]]s were planted on the grounds. Prince Albert had an active role in these improvements, overseeing the design of [[parterre]]s, the diversion of the main road north of the river via a new bridge, and plans for farm buildings.<ref name=garden/> These buildings included a [[model farm|model dairy]] that he developed in 1861, the year of his death. The dairy was completed by Victoria. Subsequently, she also built several monuments to her husband on the estate. These include a pyramid-shaped [[cairn]] built a year after Albert's death, on top of ''Craig Lurachain''. A large statue of Albert with a dog and a gun by [[William Theed]], was inaugurated on 15 October 1867, the twenty-eighth anniversary of their engagement.<ref name="Balmoral">{{cite book|last=MacLean|first=Charles|title=Balmoral Highland Estate|publisher=Balmoral Castle and Estate}}</ref>{{rp|20–21}}<ref>Millar, p. 102</ref>

Following Albert's death, Victoria spent increasing periods at Balmoral, staying for as long as four months a year during early summer and autumn.{{clarify|date=May 2023}} She placed numerous mementos of Albert on display.<ref>Millar 1985, p. 101</ref>

Few further changes were made to the grounds, with the exception of some alterations to mountain paths, the erection of various cairns and monuments, and the addition of some cottages (''Karim Cottage'' and ''Baile na Coille'') built for senior staff.<ref name=garden/><ref name=Balmoral/>{{rp|18}} It was during this period that Victoria began to depend on her servant, [[John Brown (servant)|John Brown]]. He was a local [[wikt:gillie|ghillie]] from Crathie, who became one of her closest companions during her long mourning.<ref name=Balmoral/>{{rp|23}}

In 1887, Balmoral Castle was the birthplace of [[Victoria Eugenie of Battenberg|Victoria Eugenie]], a granddaughter of Queen Victoria. She was born to Princess [[Princess Beatrice of the United Kingdom|Beatrice]], the fifth daughter of Victoria and Albert. Victoria Eugenie became queen of Spain when she married King [[Alfonso XIII]] in 1906.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.nrscotland.gov.uk/research/learning/hall-of-fame/hall-of-fame-a-z/battenberg-victoria  |title=Ena, princess of Battenberg (1887-1969)|date=31 May 2013 |publisher=National Records of Scotland|access-date=11 September 2022}}</ref>

In September 1896, Victoria welcomed Emperor [[Nicholas II of Russia]] and Empress [[Alexandra Feodorovna (Alix of Hesse)|Alexandra]], a granddaughter of Victoria, to Balmoral. Four years later Victoria made her last visit to the estate, three months before her death on 22 January 1901.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.pressandjournal.co.uk/fp/past-times/2827534/queen-victorias-final-visit-to-balmoral-marked-the-beginning-of-the-end-for-the-monarch/|title=Queen Victoria's final visit to Balmoral marked the beginning of the end for the monarch|date=21 January 2021|newspaper=Press and Journal|access-date=11 September 2022}}</ref>

<gallery widths="200px" heights="155px">
  BalmoralCastle1900.jpg|Balmoral ({{Circa|1890–1900}})
  Cairn for Prince Albert Balmoral.JPG|Memorial cairn for Prince Albert, Balmoral Estate
  George Washington Wilson (1823 - 1893) - Balmoral Business Room - ABDMS017805 - Aberdeen City Council (Archives, Gallery and Museums Collection).jpg|Queen Victoria's Business Room at Balmoral
</gallery>