As Edinburgh celebrates its 900th anniversary, a new publication reveals how the Palace of Holyroodhouse – the magnificent landmark in the heart of Edinburgh – has played an integral role in the unfolding history of the monarchy, the city and Scotland itself. 

The Palace of Holyroodhouse: ‘A house of many memories’, published today (10 October) by Royal Collection Trust, is the most comprehensive history of Scotland’s royal palace produced in over 100 years. 

Drawing on new research and primary sources, and richly illustrated with historical drawings, watercolours and photographs, the book chronicles the Palace’s journey from 12th-century abbey to official Scottish residence of His Majesty The King. It offers the most reliable accounts to date of the most infamous events in the Palace’s history, including the brutal murder of Mary, Queen of Scots’ secretary and Bonnie Prince Charlie’s occupation of Holyroodhouse for the Jacobite cause. The book also reveals some of the Palace’s more surprising occupants through the centuries – from a Russian princess and a penniless French King to a menagerie of lions and tigers.

The Palace’s origins lie in the foundation of Holyrood Abbey nearly 900 years ago in 1128. In 1503 James IV converted its royal lodgings into a palace, which was expanded further by James V. Only the north-west tower from this early building survives, and the Abbey – once one of the finest medieval abbeys in Scotland – fell into ruin in the 1760s. However, a new reconstruction drawing – commissioned for the book using new research and GPS surveys – shows what James V’s lost Renaissance palace and Holyrood Abbey might have looked like for the first time.

Mary, Queen of Scots spent just six years at the Palace in the 1560s, but it was the setting for many of the important events of her reign, including two of her three marriages and the murder of her secretary, David Rizzio, stabbed more than 50 times by her jealous husband and his fellow nobles. Following a thorough reappraisal of contemporary sources, the book gives a detailed account of the murder as it unfolded in Mary’s chambers, watched in horror by the pregnant Queen. 

In 1745 Bonnie Prince Charlie occupied Edinburgh and held court at the Palace for six weeks during the final Jacobite rising. The glittering balls that he is said to have held inspired writers and artists such as Sir Walter Scott and Sir John Pettie for generations to come, but were not recorded in detail by contemporary sources. However, during research for the book, a letter came to light, written by the Duke of Perth in September 1745, confirming that a ‘great ball at ye palace’ had taken place two days after the Battle of Prestonpans, probably to celebrate the Jacobite victory. It is the only contemporary reference to a specific ball known to exist, confirming that these celebrations were not simply a later artistic invention.

The book sheds light on the Palace’s role hosting foreign royalty in the 18th century. The Russian princess Ekaterina Romanovna Dashkova, a close friend of Catherine the Great, lived at Holyroodhouse between 1776 and 1779 while her son was educated in the city. She became an influential society figure, hosting weekly dances, and described her time at the Palace as ‘both the happiest and most peaceful that has ever fallen my lot in this world’. During the French Revolution, Marie Antoinette’s exiled brother-in-law, the comte d’Artois, lived at the Palace for seven years, using the Abbey’s status as a debtor’s sanctuary to avoid his creditors. His chaplain, valet, cook and other servants were also accommodated at the Palace, and he was soon joined by his sons and mistress. Following the restoration of the French monarchy, he later succeeded to the throne as Charles X, before being deposed and returning to Holyroodhouse for a further two years.

In 1822 George IV became the first reigning monarch to visit the Palace in almost 200 years. The book describes the elaborate preparations made by the visit’s organiser, Sir Walter Scott – from the demolition of an entire building to make way for the King’s procession up the Royal Mile, to the meticulous instructions given to those attending events at the Palace. Ladies were to wear ‘at least nine feathers’ in their headdresses, and must ‘exert their skill to move their trains as quietly and neatly’ as possible after meeting the King; a skill they should ‘lose no time in beginning to practise’. 

Public interest in the Palace surged after George IV’s visit, and the book traces its centuries-long popularity with visitors, as well as its lasting influence on writers, artists and musicians. These include Daniel Defoe, Louis Daguerre (inventor of the first photographic process) and Felix Mendelssohn, whose Scottish Symphony was inspired by a twilight visit to the Abbey. Mendelssohn dedicated his symphony to Queen Victoria in 1842; the year the young Queen first saw the Palace.

Queen Victoria felt a profound connection to Scotland and to Holyroodhouse, where she and Prince Albert would stay each year en-route to Balmoral Castle. The royal couple were captivated by the beauty of Holyrood Abbey, and the book reproduces sketches that they made of the ruined building from their windows, as well as watercolours of their apartments, commissioned by Queen Victoria after Prince Albert’s death to commemorate happier times.

Extensive research into the Palace gardens sheds light on their varied uses through the centuries, from medieval jousting grounds and a royal menagerie, to the foundation in 1670 of one of Britain’s earliest botanic gardens, which later became the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh. The book also explores the colourful history of the nearby Abbey Strand buildings, thought to incorporate the oldest surviving house in Edinburgh. Now the Palace’s Learning Centre, the buildings once housed a weapon store, taverns, a brewery and even a brothel.

The Palace’s story is brought up to date with an exploration of its role in the 20th and 21st centuries, from its first garden party and a lucky escape from wartime bombing, to the opening of The Queen’s Gallery (now The King’s Gallery) in 2002 to show works of art from the Royal Collection, and the Palace’s continued popularity as a visitor attraction today, welcoming almost half a million people each year. The book recounts the moment the eyes of the world turned to Holyroodhouse in 2022, when Queen Elizabeth II lay at rest in the Throne Room after her death at Balmoral Castle, and describes the Royal Family’s use of the Palace today to celebrate Scots from all walks of life. 

The Palace of Holyroodhouse: ‘A house of many memories’

Authored and edited by Deborah Clarke, with contributions from Richard Fawcett, Ailsa Hutton and Sally Goodsir.

ISBN 9781909741744

Hardback, 300 x 245mm

288pp

Royal Collection Trust

Published 10 October, available at £55 from www.rct.uk/shop and Royal Collection Trust shops, and all good bookshops.

A selection of images is available via Dropbox. To register interest in receiving a digital review copy, and for further information, please contact the Royal Collection Trust Press Office, +44 (0)20 7839 1377, [email protected].

Notes to Editors

Royal Collection Trust, a department of the Royal Household, is responsible for the care of the Royal Collection and manages the public opening of the official residences of The King. Income generated from admissions and from associated commercial activities contributes directly to The Royal Collection Trust, a registered charity. The aims of The Trust are the care and conservation of the Royal Collection, and the promotion of access and enjoyment through exhibitions, publications, loans and educational programmes.

The Royal Collection is among the largest and most important art collections in the world, and one of the last great European royal collections to remain intact. It comprises almost all aspects of the fine and decorative arts, and is spread among some 15 royal residences and former residences across the UK, most of which are regularly open to the public. The Royal Collection is held in trust by the Sovereign for his successors and the nation, and is not owned by The King as a private individual. 

The Palace of Holyroodhouse stands at the end of Edinburgh's Royal Mile and is the official residence of The King in Scotland, used by His Majesty and the Royal Family for State ceremonies and official entertaining. It is open to the public year-round and a visit to the Palace includes the opportunity to explore the ruins of Holyrood Abbey and the Palace's gardens, which are set against the spectacular backdrop of Arthur's Seat. Learn more: www.rct.uk/visit/palace-of-holyroodhouse.