Forget Buckingham Palace or Windsor Castle - the Royal Family's most romantic residence is a secluded lodge house in the Scottish Highlands. Birkhall, near Balmoral, is the subject of a new Channel 5 documentary, 'Birkhall: The King’s Secret Sanctuary', which reveals its role as a backdrop for royal love stories.
Historian Professor Chandrika Kaul disclosed that Prince William asked Michael Middleton for permission to marry Kate during a weekend visit at Birkhall - before even telling his father. King Charles also proposed to Camilla there in 2005, with the future Queen replying, 'Of course!' and later saying she was 'coming down to earth'.
The lodge has long been a royal honeymoon hideaway. Charles and Camilla spent their honeymoon there, following a tradition started by the late Queen and Prince Philip. The Duke and Duchess of Kent, as well as Prince Edward and Sophie, also chose Birkhall for their post-wedding retreat, earning it the nickname 'the honeymoon home'.
Originally purchased by Prince Albert for his eldest son, the house was later expanded by the Queen Mother, who added a wing in the 1950s. After her death in 2002, it passed to Charles, who has preserved personal tributes to his beloved grandmother while making it his own.
Former BBC royal correspondent Jennie Bond described Birkhall as a place where Charles and Camilla can 'just be together', reading, walking and enjoying each other's company. Experts agree it is the closest thing to a 'marital home' for the King and Queen.
