Founded in 1128 and situated in Edinburgh at the end of the Royal Mile, The Palace of Holyroodhouse is The Queen's official residence in Scotland.Originally the site of an Abbey, in 1501 James IV cleared the surrounding ground and built a palace for himself and his bride, Margaret Tudor, sister of Henry VIII.
The most famous Royal to have been associated with The Palace of Holyroodhouse is Mary, Queen of Scots, who lived in the palace between 1561 and 1567, a dramatic time for the Queen whose secretary, David Rizzio, was murdered by her husband who believed Mary and Rizzio were having an affair. The murder took place in her private rooms.
Following Mary's residence, the palace fell into disrepair as turbulence within the monarchy caused Royalty to stay away from Scotland and it wasn't until Queen Victoria's reign that the custom of staying at Holyroodhouse was again introduced, inspiring the Scottish people to undertake a massive renovation program.
King George V and Queen Mary continued the restoration work on what they came to regard as a family home. The addition of bathrooms and electricity brought Holyroodhouse into the twentieth century.
Palace garden parties became a tradition that The Queen still upholds by inviting around 8,000 guests from all walks of Scottish life to the palace gardens during Holyrood week.
Today the palace is used for State receptions, Investitures, and other official occasions. Any member of the Royal family having official engagements in Scotland would normally choose to stay at Holyroodhouse, a Royal home that's busier today than at any other time in history.