A poignant and beautiful new photo of the Queen's Scottish residence, Balmoral, was released on Thursday, to confirm its reopening three weeks after the late monarch's passing.
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Her late Majesty died at Balmoral Castle on 8 September, and while it has since remained closed – along with the other royal residence – they are gradually reopening to visitors now the royal mourning period has ended.
WATCH: The Queen leaves Balmoral for the final time
The photo posted on the official Balmoral Instagram account showed the gates leading to the castle partly open, with a beautiful tree-lined driveway visible behind. Until recently, floral tributes to Her late Majesty had been left outside the historic residence, but they have since been moved and will be used to create compost for the royal parks and gardens.
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"Balmoral Estate will re-open to the public on Monday 3rd October, 10am-4pm daily. Admission is free to the estate to allow visitors to enjoy the peace and tranquility of the castle grounds," the caption on the photo read, confirming that the gift shop and café will also be open for visitors.
Balmoral Castle reopens to the public on 3rd October
Unsurprisingly, the photo received a huge response from royal fans, with one commenting: "Absolutely stunning place, complete serendipity." Another revealed their plans to return, writing: "We can't wait to visit again."
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The photo was shared on the same day that the Queen's death certificate was released, confirming both the time and cause of her death.
© Photo: Getty ImagesThe Queen passed away at Balmoral Castle on 8 September
According to the document, published by National Records of Scotland on Thursday, the late monarch died at 3.10pm on September 8 at Balmoral Castle in Ballater. The cause of death is listed as "old age".
Old age was the only cause of death listed, with no other contributing factors. Douglas James Allan Glass is noted as the certifying registered medical practitioner. Paul Lowe, the Registrar General for Scotland, confirmed that the Queen's death was registered in Aberdeenshire on 16 September 2022.
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