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Prince William and Kate Middleton have arrived at Balmoral Castle for the royal family’s annual summer vacation in Scotland, joined by their three children Prince George, Princess Charlotte, and Prince Louis, per Hello. The Prince and Princess of Wales last made a public appearance in early August at the Commonwealth Games, bringing their three children along.
The timing of their arrival at Balmoral is notable, as it comes just one day after the announcement that Prince Harry and Meghan Markle are moving back to the United Kingdom after six years away. The Duke and Duchess of Sussex will maintain their home in Montecito, California, and a vacation property in Portugal, but will establish a new private residence in Britain. Their children, Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet, are expected to start school in the UK in September. The location of their new home and their children’s school are being kept confidential.
The Wales family’s arrival at Balmoral follows a busy week of royal gatherings at the Scottish estate. King Charles was officially welcomed to the castle with a formal military ceremony on Tuesday. Several members of the extended royal family were already on the grounds, including Princess Anne’s children, Peter Phillips and his new wife Harriet Sperling, and Zara and Mike Tindall. Queen Camilla was also spotted shopping in a nearby village with her sister, daughter, and three of her grandchildren earlier in the week.
Balmoral Castle has been the British royal family’s private summer retreat since 1852, when Prince Albert purchased the 50,000-acre Aberdeenshire estate for Queen Victoria. It was thought to be Queen Elizabeth’s favorite residence, and it was also the place where she died in September 2022. King Charles has continued the tradition of spending August and early September at the castle.
While Prince Harry spent summers at Balmoral throughout his childhood and has visited the estate many times over the years, though it’s unclear if he and his family will visit this summer.
Rachel King (she/her) is a news writer at Town & Country. Before joining T&C, she spent nearly a decade as an editor at Fortune. Her work covering travel and lifestyle has appeared in Forbes, Observer, Robb Report, Cruise Critic, and Cool Hunting, among others. Originally from San Francisco, she lives in New York with her wife, their daughter, and a precocious labradoodle. Follow her on Instagram at @rk.passport.