The royal love palace: How Birkhall is 'as close as it comes' to being Charles and Camilla's marital home and has hosted more than one royal honeymoon (including the King and Queen's)

• Birkhall, on the Balmoral estate, was the holiday home of the Queen Mother
• It also hosted the honeymoons of Queen and Prince Philip and Duke of Kent 

It was once described by King Charles as 'a unique haven of cosiness'.

Birkhall, on the Balmoral estate in Scotland, was the holiday home of the Queen Mother and has long been a favourite of His Majesty.

So it is no surprise that one source said it is 'as close as it comes' to being a marital home for Charles and Queen Camilla.

It was where the couple enjoyed their honeymoon in 2005 and, in recent weeks, has been the perfect retreat for the the King as he continues his cancer treatment.

But Birkhall hasn't just been favoured by Charles and Camilla - it was also a honeymoon haven for Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, Prince Edward and Sophie, the Duke and Duchess of Kent and Princess Alexandra and Angus Ogilvy. 

It boasts tartan walls, carpets and big open fires - giving it the feel of a normal house rather than a royal residence.  

Since his diagnosis in February, Charles and Camilla have spent time there gardening, walking and hosting close friends. 

When his mother was on her death bed at Balmoral on September 8, 2022, Charles retreated to Birkhall to pick mushrooms in the surrounding woods.

The then Prince of Wales got back to her bedside before she died, and then returned to Birkhall as the new King that evening. 

The grieving monarch had a private dinner there with Camilla and Prince William. 

A source told the Mail on Sunday last month that even the typically unreliable Scottish climate has not stopped Charles and Camilla from enjoying themselves outdoors at Birkhall in recent weeks. 

'Mixed weather doesn't stop them,' they said. 'It's been a really special time, coming in the wake of their wedding anniversary and reflecting on the anniversary of the Coronation.' 

Camilla has previously described gardening as 'the most relaxing thing in the world.' 

The vegetable patch at Birkhall grows peas, beans, spinach and potatoes, along with more exotic fennel, fraises des bois and dahlias. 

'My husband is an excellent gardener, and we're quite competitive about our fruit and vegetables,' Camilla said in an interview. 

Birkhall was used by the Queen Mother for half a century, after King George V lent it to her and her husband - the future George VI - when they were the Duke and Duchess of York.

The Queen Mother loved the home, she decorated it to her tastes and extensively developed the garden.

She only reluctantly swapped it for the grandeur of Balmoral Castle when her husband became King.

The young Princess Elizabeth then spent time there, before giving it back to her mother when she became Queen in 1952. 

She and Philip had enjoyed the second part of their honeymoon there in 1947, after initially staying at Broadlands, the home of Earl Mountbatten.

The home is named after the birch trees which surround it. It dates back to 1715 and was bought by Queen Victoria and Prince Albert for their son in 1849. 

But he never liked it and stayed there only once.  

As the Prince of Wales, Charles stayed there frequently, including with his sons William and Harry.

Princess Diana famously refused to join Charles there for holidays when their marriage deteriorated.