The Palace of Holyroodhouse is His Majesty The King's official residence in Scotland, and has long associations with royalty.

One of the most famous names associated with the Palace is that of Mary, Queen of Scots. Her Chambers at Holyroodhouse contain works connected to her life there, including an embroidery created by her during captivity under Elizabeth I. Here visitors can also see items linked to the Stuart line, including relics assembled by successive monarchs such as the Darnley Jewel and the personal dining tray made for Cardinal York, the brother of Bonnie Prince Charlie.

Perhaps the most striking space within the Palace is the Great Gallery, lined with Jacob de Wet's portraits of the real and legendary kings of Scotland, commissioned by Charles II. The Queen's Bedchamber contains the so called 'Darnley' Bed, which was originally supplied to the Duke of Hamilton and later slept in by Bonnie Prince Charlie before his defeat at Culloden. The State Rooms also contain a number of tapestries, reflecting the main decorative component of royal palaces from the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries.