King Charles is renting out one of the Royal Family’s palatial homes as a wedding venue

In exciting news that has me ready to book a flight to Scotland (and maybe find a fiancé), King Charles is reportedly planning to rent out part of his family’s Balmoral Palace as a wedding venue for the public.

According to various reports, the British monarch has put forward plans to turn a section of the iconic Scottish castle into an exclusive wedding spot. This means regular folks (not royal) can host grand ceremonies fit for a prince and princess.

King Charles aims to open the Queen’s Building, which is just a short walk from the historic Balmoral Castle, for events like weddings, dinners, meetings, and more. Built in the 1980s for staff quarters, the Queen’s Building is now set to have a new purpose. The king has submitted a request to the local council to change the building’s usage, and it includes plans for music and alcohol sales until 3 AM (who’s ready for a royal party?).

Of course, the local council still needs to approve this application, but given it’s from the king himself, it’s likely to get the green light pretty quickly.

The decision to rent out Balmoral seems to be a strategic move to help cover the castle’s hefty maintenance costs, which exceed $3.5 million annually—around $1 million of that goes to staff keeping the estate running. Balmoral Castle, originally purchased by Queen Victoria in the mid-19th century, was a favorite of the late Queen Elizabeth II, who also passed away there in 2022.

Interestingly, Balmoral was where Queen Elizabeth broke tradition by appointing then-Prime Minister Liz Truss, rather than doing so at Buckingham Palace like her predecessors. Since her passing, King Charles has been working to open up the castle more to the public, attracting about 75,000 visitors and generating over $650,000 in ticket sales annually. The application assures that the events will be managed in a way that won’t disturb neighbors, although it does sound a bit like they’re trying to keep the fun on the down-low.

While it might seem unusual for the royal family to allow the public this close, King Charles has long had plans to refresh Balmoral. Royal author Robert Hardman noted in his book that the King has “ambitious plans for the grounds” and was eager to work on the castle’s hedge maze soon after becoming king.

Naturally, these plans have sparked discussions about the Royal Family’s finances, but it seems more about maintaining the estate rather than making a profit. And with several palaces and treasures at their disposal, it doesn’t appear the royals are struggling financially. So now, I’m dreaming of a fairytale wedding at a castle with armed guards and lovely hedge mazes—though first, I should probably find a husband!