Royal Collection Trust has announced its programme of group visits and private tours at the official residences of His Majesty The King for the coming year.
In 2026 groups will be able to visit Buckingham Palace and the adjacent Royal Mews, Windsor Castle and the Palace of Holyroodhouse, the official residence of the King in Scotland.
Exhibitions on display include a landmark exhibition of Queen Elizabeth II’s fashion to mark the centenary of her birth at The King’s Gallery in London and the widest-ranging display of Italian Renaissance drawings in Scotland for over half a century.
Buckingham Palace
The summer opening of Buckingham Palace will take place from 9th July to 27th September 2026. Groups will be able to explore the State Rooms, where The King and members of the Royal Family host ceremonial occasions and official receptions.
Highlights include the Picture Gallery which displays some of the finest paintings in the Royal Collection; the Throne Room which features the Coronation State Portraits of Their Majesties The King and Queen; and the State Dining Room, often used for private entertaining and charity dinners.
The Royal Mews, Buckingham Palace
The Royal Mews at Buckingham Palace is the home of all road travel arrangements for The King and members of the Royal Family, from horse-and-carriage to car. A visit offers a behind-the-scenes insight into royal events including coronations, royal weddings and Trooping the Colour.
Visitors can see the Gold State Coach, used at every Coronation since William IV and most recently for the coronation of King Charles III in 2023, the day-to-day work of the Royal Mews staff, and the Windsor Grey and Cleveland Bay horses which pull the royal carriages.
The King’s Gallery, Buckingham Palace
From 10th April to 18th October 2026, The King’s Gallery will host Queen Elizabeth II: Her Life in Style, the largest exhibition of the late Queen’s fashion ever displayed.
Visitors to the King’s Gallery will be able to see more than 200 items, half on display for the first time, charting the life of Britain’s longest-reigning monarch through clothing worn in all ten decades of her life. Privare access to the exhibition will be available for groups after the Gallery closes to the public through private evening talks and views led by an expert guide.
Click here to find out more about the exhibition.
Groups can take advantage of a Royal Day Out ticket, combining a visit to the State Rooms, the Royal Mews and the Queen Elizabeth II: Her Life in Style exhibition. Alternatively, a visit to the State Rooms can be combined with a Garden Highlights Tour in the Palace gardens, including the herbaceous border, wisteria-clad summer house, rose garden and the Palace tennis court.
Windsor Castle
Groups can discover the history of the oldest and largest occupied castle in the world which has been home to 40 monarchs. See the State Apartments, including St George’s Hall, which is used for state banquets, the grand Waterloo Chamber containing 38 portraits celebrating the end of the Napoleonic wars at the Battle of Waterloo, and the largest dolls’ house in the world, Queen Mary’s Dolls’ House.
Private guided tours of the State Apartments are led by expert guides and take groups on a tour after the castle has closed to the public. During the winter months, visitors can also explore the richly decorated Semi-State Rooms, which were George IV’s private apartments and are still used for official entertaining.
Groups can also visit St George’s Chapel, one of the finest examples of Gothic architecture in England and the resting place of 11 monarchs including Henry VIII, Charles I, and Queen Elizabeth II.
Palace of Holyroodhouse
Edinburgh’s Royal Palace and The King’s official residence in Scotland welcomes groups to learn about 900 years of Scottish royal history. The palace is also home to the medieval ruins of Holyrood Abbey, founded in 1128.
Private guided morning and evening tours offer groups the chance to visit when the palace at the foot of the Royal Mile is closed to the public. Expert guides offer insight into the palace’s role and the behind-the-scenes work that ensures the smooth running of events including garden parties, investitures, audiences and receptions.
The King’s Gallery, Palace of Holyroodhouse
Drawings by Leonardo da Vinci, Michelangelo, and Titian are among 45 Italian Renaissance drawings on display in Scotland for the first time as part of the Drawing the Italian Renaissance exhibition at The King’s Gallery until 6th March 2026. The Edwardians: Age of Elegance exhibition will follow at The King’s Gallery and will run from 24th April to 6th December 2026.
Groups can take part in a private view of the exhibitions in the morning and evening when the gallery is closed to the public, which includes a 30-minute expert talk.
For more information about group visits to the Royal Collection Trust and to download the Group Visits & Private Tours 2026 brochure, visit www.rct.uk/travel-trade-and-groups.
