Prince Harry casts a shadow over the Royal Family’s Balmoral break – before he has even returned to Britain, insiders say.
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The Royal Family’s traditional summer stay at Balmoral Castle has been overshadowed by Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s bombshell announcement – their unexpected return to the United Kingdom.
The news emerged just as senior royals arrived in Scotland. King Charles was reportedly informed last Sunday, shortly before beginning his official summer stay at the Aberdeenshire estate the following day.
However, Buckingham Palace has moved quickly to deny suggestions that the annual gathering has become an emergency meeting to discuss the Sussexes.
Palace sources insist the Royal Family’s holiday was arranged months ago and that there has been no closed-door “summit” like the one held at Sandringham in 2020, when the terms of Harry and Meghan’s departure from royal duties were negotiated.
Balmoral’s history
Prince William, Princess Kate and their three children are regular visitors to the sprawling Scottish estate, which has offered generations of royals a private escape from official duties and public scrutiny.
However, Prince Harry has not joined the royals at Balmoral since his relationship with the family deteriorated following his and Meghan’s decision to step back as senior working royals and move to the US in 2020.
But after Harry and Charles met earlier this summer, speculation has grown that the Duke and Duchess of Sussex could eventually find themselves back on the King’s Balmoral guest list.
Their return to Britain has nevertheless disturbed the tranquillity of a retreat considered sacred by the Windsors. It was at Balmoral that Queen Elizabeth II spent the final weeks of her life and died in September 2022.
Royal sources have reportedly admitted that the Sussexes have been a subject of conversation in recent days, although they insist the matter has been treated as a private family issue rather than a formal discussion about the future of the monarchy.
Any return to Balmoral would be particularly poignant for Harry, whose memoir, Spare, contained deeply personal accounts of his experiences at the Scottish residence.
Charles told Prince Harry not to bring Meghan
One of the most painful incidents described by Prince Harry took place in September 2022, when Queen Elizabeth II’s health suddenly deteriorated at Balmoral.
Harry recalled receiving an urgent phone call from Charles as members of the Royal Family prepared to travel to Scotland.
“It was Pa. Granny’s health had taken a turn. She was up at Balmoral, of course. Those beautiful, melancholy late-summer days,” he wrote.
“He hung up — he had many other calls to make — and I immediately texted Willy to ask whether he and Kate were flying up. If so, when? And how? No response.”
Race back to the UK
Harry said he and Meghan began looking at flight options as the media started contacting their representatives for information.
“Meg and I looked at flight options. The press started phoning; we couldn’t delay a decision any longer. We told our team to confirm: We’d be missing the WellChild Awards and hurrying up to Scotland.”
However, Prince Harry claimed he then received another call from Charles, who told him Meghan should not accompany him to Balmoral.
“Then came another call from Pa. He said I was welcome at Balmoral, but he didn’t want… her,” Harry wrote.
The Duke said he strongly objected to the way his father spoke about Meghan and demanded that he show his wife greater respect.
“He started to lay out his reason, which was nonsensical, and disrespectful, and I wasn’t having it. Don’t ever speak about my wife that way.”
According to Prince Harry, Charles then explained that the decision was not aimed specifically at Meghan. Other royal wives, including Kate, would not be present either.
“He stammered, apologetic, saying he simply didn’t want a lot of people around. No other wives were coming, Kate wasn’t coming, he said, therefore Meg shouldn’t. Then that’s all you needed to say.”
Queen Elizabeth II, Britain’s longest-reigning monarch, died at Balmoral on September 8, 2022, aged 96. Her death saw Charles immediately become King and Camilla become Queen Consort.
A cherished royal retreat
Balmoral has been closely associated with the Royal Family since Prince Albert purchased the estate for Queen Victoria in 1852.
The private 50,000-acre estate has traditionally offered the royals an opportunity to enjoy walking, picnics, barbecues and other outdoor activities away from the formality of palace life.
Charles has a lifelong connection to the property and has continued the tradition of spending part of each summer there since becoming King.
For the late Queen, Balmoral was considered one of her happiest and most treasured homes. She regularly welcomed relatives to the estate and remained there during the final weeks of her life.
Whether Prince Harry and Meghan will be invited to join the family in Scotland again remains uncertain.
But with the couple preparing to return to Britain and signs of renewed contact between Harry and his father, the prospect of a future Balmoral invitation may no longer be as remote as it once appeared.
