Palace of Holyroodhouse’s dramatic past revealed in first full history

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.

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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.

How Holyrood Abbey and The Palace of Holyroodhouse could have looked in 1538 (Image: (Bob Marshall)) The book also 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’. 

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. 

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.

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 also 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’ is available at £55 from Royalcollectionshop.co.uk and Royal Collection Trust shops, and all good bookshops.