It’s no secret that Queen Elizabeth Ⅱ spends a lot of time in some very luxurious places From Buckingham Palace, with its 775 rooms (one of the must-see attractions in London), to Windsor Castle, where she usually spends her weekends, Her Majesty’s haunts are some of the most impressive dwellings in the world. But the place where she’s happiest is not one of the places people might most commonly associate with her. In fact, it’s not even in England. It’s Balmoral Castle, the Queen’s holiday home located in Royal Deeside, Aberdeen shire, Scotland Balmoral Castle is a stately Scottish Baronial mansion situated on a 50,000-acre estate. It’s pretty unique among royal residences in that it's actually owned by the royal family, rather than being the property of the Crown Estate. The only other royal dwelling that’s like this is Sandringham House in Norfolk.

The royal family’s connection with Balmoral dates back to the 19th century. Queen Victoria and Prince Albert purchased a home there in 1852 and then promptly oversaw construction of an even bigger home. Upon its completion in 1856, the smaller castle was torn down, leaving the castle that remains today.

Fast-forward to present day, and the current monarch summers there every year. While still, of course, a castle, Balmoral is considerably smaller than Buckingham or Windsor, and the royals use their time there to unwind and take a break from some of the pressures of royal life. Queen Elizabeth Ⅱ has been photographed there doing everything from horseback riding to taking joyrides in a Range Rover.

Where does Queen Elizabeth Ⅱ usually spend her weekends?

Is Balmoral Castle a property of the Crown Estate?

When was the construction of the current Balmoral Castle completed?

Balmoral Castle is a place where the royals release ________of royal life.

Is the underlined word “summers” in the last paragraph a noun or a verb?