Prince Harry reveals private Buckingham Palace room he wasn’t allowed inside until age 33

Buckingham Palace boasts a whopping 775 rooms, ranging from grand spaces like the Throne Room and the Ballroom to more humble rooms like staff quarters. But there was one particular room that the late Queen Elizabeth II kept private, even from most of her family, until one special day when Prince Harry was granted access. He revealed all in his memoir, Spare… 

The Duke of Sussex never got to see inside his grandmother’s dressing room until he was 33 years old. In the lead-up to his wedding day, Prince Harry joined Meghan Markle for a tiara try-on session at the palace following an invite by Her Majesty.

He penned: “Shortly before the wedding, however, Granny reached out. She offered us access to her collection of tiaras. She even invited us to Buckingham Palace to try them on. Do come over, I remember her saying.

“Extraordinary morning. We walked into Granny’s private dressing room, right next to her bedroom, a space I’d never been in. Along with Granny was a jewelry expert, an eminent historian who knew the lineage of each stone in the royal collection. Also present was Granny’s dresser and confidante, Angela. Five tiaras were arrayed on a table, and Granny directed Meg to try on each one before a full-length mirror. I stood behind, watching.”

© WPA Pool

While it may seem unusual to some that a grandchild wouldn’t have seen this space, Prince Harry has been keen to point out that his grandmother was still very much the head of the monarchy to him too. This was a concept that he struggled to explain to his American actress fiancée at the time. Elsewhere in the book, he wrote: “I asked if she knew how to curtsy. She said she thought so. But she also couldn’t tell if I was serious. ‘You’re about to meet the Queen.’ ‘I know, but it’s your grandma.’ ‘But she’s the Queen.'”

A look inside Queen Elizabeth II’s dressing room

© Getty Images

While her former Buckingham Palace dressing room remains under wraps, there is a very unique opportunity for royal fans to see inside another of her private wardrobe spaces. The Palace of Holyroodhouse in Scotland has opened up a select number of rooms for visitors to tour, including her former dressing room. The official website explains: “In the Dressing Room, giving a sense of how the Queen would prepare for official engagements, visitors will see three ensembles from her wardrobe, each worn during a significant occasion in Edinburgh.”