Balmoral Castle has long been one of the Queen's most beloved places, so it seems only right that it was within the walls of the Scottish pile that she died surrounded by her family.
Throughout her 96 years, the Aberdeenshire estate played a pivotal role in the monarch's life. It was at Birkhall Lodge on the estate where she and late husband Prince Philip spent part of their honeymoon in 1947.
It has been the backdrop to her annual summer holidays, with precious family memories of an off-duty life carved out behind its impressive facade.
The Queen’s traditional annual stay at the main property usually stretches through August and September and into October.
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This year she travelled to Balmoral on July 21 and remained at the estate to appoint a new prime minister there for the first time in her reign on Tuesday, September 6.
The Queen, who has faced ongoing mobility issues, traditionally holds audiences with outgoing and incoming premiers at Buckingham Palace.
Balmoral, like Sandringham, is a private residence of the Queen rather than a royal residence belonging to the Crown.
But outgoing prime minister Boris Johnson and his successor Liz Truss made the 1,000-mile round trip to Aberdeenshire for meetings this week amid the monarch's failing health.
Years of royal memories have been forged at Balmoral, including family barbecues – where the Duke of Edinburgh did the cooking and the Queen the washing-up.
The Queen was staying with her grandsons William and Harry at Balmoral when their mother Diana, Princess of Wales died in a car crash in Paris in 1997.
And earlier this week, her historic meeting with new Prime Minister Liz Truss offered a rare glimpse into her Balmoral home.
Photos were released showing Her Majesty ushering in her 15th PM at her holiday retreat for the first time.
It is said to be one of the Queen’s favourite places and somewhere that holds many happy memories for her. Here we look at what life is really like on the vast Scottish estate...
'Most beautiful place on earth'
Balmoral is a huge estate in Aberdeenshire that stretches over 50,000 acres.
The grounds have access to a wide array of breathtaking landscapes from the Dee river valley to towering mountains and rolling green hills.
A working estate, Balmoral highlights include grouse moors, lush green forests and farmland, as well as plenty of animals from herds of deer to Highland cattle and ponies.
While there, the Queen and other royals were said to enjoy riding horses, walking their dogs and throwing big barbecues.
Princess Eugenie, the Queen’s granddaughter, once described Balmoral as the most beautiful place on the planet.
"Walks, picnics, dogs – a lot of dogs, there's always dogs – and people coming in and out all the time," she said.
"It's a lovely base for Granny and Grandpa, for us to come and see them up there; where you just have room to breathe and run."
Inside the castle
The main property at Balmoral is Balmoral Castle - and pictures from earlier this week gave a sneak peek at the castle's drawing room.
They showed the room had a mix of traditional furniture and decorations alongside cosy touches to make the Queen feel at home.
Artwork on show included huge paintings both by Sir Edwin Landseer - one showed a stag hunt and another showed Queen Victoria mourning Prince Albert.
Other grand features include gold candelabras, an ornate mirror and clock and a fireplace that reportedly includes the Latin phrase 'Nemo me impune lacessit' - the national motto of Scotland that translates as 'no one attacks me with impunity'.
More personal touches included mint green sofas, previously seen in a photo of the Queen and her great-grandchildren, autumnal flowers and a bell in order to ring for staff.
Meanwhile, other photos from over the years from inside the castle have also shown the Queen's private study.
Snaps from 2017 showed it to have vast bookcases, her favourite leather chair and a £20 electric heater to take the edge off the chilly Scottish air.
There's also been a glimpse of her private sitting room during a audience with former Prime Minister David Cameron - and it had floral covered arm chairs and a vibrant tartan carpet.
Elsewhere the largest room in the castle is the ballroom, which also features amazing artwork on display by Landseer and Carl Haag.
Underneath the carpet inside the ballroom, there is the original wooden floor which has never been replaced.
It is also one of the few rooms in the castle visitors to Balmoral are allowed to view as the other rooms are the Queen's private quarters.
Vast gardens
As well as impressive interiors, Balmoral also has large, beautiful gardens.
They were originally designed by Prince Albert, but have since been expanded by the modern Royal Family and now cover three acres, with a conservatory and lots of Victorian glasshouses.
Prince Philip extended the gardens during his time at the estate, to incorporate a large kitchen garden.
Produce from the vegetable garden is said to be harvested between August and October so that the Queen can enjoy it when she visits each summer.
Secret hideaway
It's not just the castle at Balmoral where she liked to spend time - she also stayed at a smaller, more modest seven-bedroom property called Craigowan Lodge, which holds lots of special memories.
The Queen tended to stay at the secret hideaway when the castle is still open to tourists.
The lodge, located on the edge of a forest, is a calm and quiet retreat - and speaking on the Channel 5 documentary Secrets of the Royal Palaces before Prince Philip's death, former royal correspondent Wesley Kerr explained the pair spent their time there as an "ordinary married couple".
He said: "I don’t imagine that she’s doing the cooking or anything, but she and the Duke are able to be there as an ordinary married couple without the grandeur.
"I think the Queen sees the grandeur in these amazing houses as, sort of, part of the job.
"But the Queen, like anybody else, can only be in one room at a time.
"So one room in a small house is probably a rather nice change."
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