King Charles and Camilla to break with tradition in first summer at Balmoral without late Queen

The King and Queen will head to the estate next week for an extended break where Charles will mark the first anniversary of his mother’s death

King Charles and Queen Camilla will head to Scotland next week for their annual summer break at the Balmoral estate, but will break with tradition by not staying in the main castle.

The estate was the summer residence of the late Queen Elizabeth II, who typically stayed there from mid-July until September or October each year. Following her death in September, this year’s visit will be a poignant one, marking Charles’s first summer at the estate without his mother, and his first as monarch.

The Balmoral estate, in Aberdeenshire, has been a place of sanctuary for the royal family since Queen Victoria’s time.

According to The Daily Mail, Charles will be breaking from his mother’s tradition by not staying at Balmoral Castle itself, as the late Queen did, but staying instead at Birkhall – his private home at the estate.

One source told the publication the King and Queen will happily “decamp” to the main castle for official visits from prime minister Rishi Sunak and other political representatives, but Birkhall will be their main base until the early autumn.

Senior royal family members are also expected to visit Balmoral in the coming weeks, as the family typically gets together during the summer.

The Prince and Princess of Wales, together with their children George, Charlotte and Louis, are expected to stay at the residence, with other visitors including the Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh and their teenage children, Louise and James; Princess Anne and her husband Vice Admiral Sir Timothy Laurence, along with her son Peter Phillips and daughter Zara Tindall; and Charles’s cousin, Lady Sarah Chatto.

Since the Duke and Duchess of Sussex stepped back from royal duties in 2020, and following the release of Prince Harry’s tell-all memoir Spare in January, it is unlikely that the couple will be visiting the residence this summer.

The King and Queen are preparing for a summer visit to Balmoral (PA Wire)

The Daily Mail reports that Prince Andrew, Duke of York, will also be spending time at the estate with his daughters Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie, despite some speculation that he might have stayed away.

Charles is expected to spend the first week of August at the Castle of Mey in Caithness, the former home of his grandmother, the Queen Mother, before Camilla joins him at Birkhall.

The King will mark his first accession day on 8 September at the residence, one year on from his mother’s death. Charles was officially crowned King at his coronation on 6 May, after which he immediately acceded to the throne, becoming King Charles III and taking on all of the responsibilities that come with his new title.

The Queen holding an infant Prince Andrew in the grounds of Balmoral in November 1960 (PA)

Balmoral was originally bought by Prince Albert for £32,000 in 1852 – roughly £4m today – which means the property is privately owned, and not part of the Crown Estate.

In previous years, Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip hosted family members for informal dinners and barbecues.

The Queen was often spotted behind the wheel of a Land Rover, horseriding or walking her dogs on the grounds’ 50,000 acreage. The residence, which is where Queen Elizabeth II died in September, was described by Princess Eugenie as the late Queen’s favourite home.