Prince William and Kate Middleton Arrive at Balmoral as Harry and Meghan Announce UK Return
Prince William and Catherine, Princess of Wales, have arrived at Balmoral Castle in Scotland for the royal family's annual summer vacation, bringing their three children — Prince George, 13, Princess Charlotte, 11, and Prince Louis, 8 — along for the stay at the 50,000-acre Aberdeenshire estate that has served as the British royal family's private summer retreat since Prince Albert purchased it for Queen Victoria in 1852 (Town & Country).
The Wales family's arrival came one day after the announcement that Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, are moving back to the United Kingdom after six years away. Harry, 41, and Meghan, 45, will maintain their home in Montecito, California, and a vacation property in Portugal, but will establish a new private residence in Britain — not a royal residence — giving them their first home base in the country since they relinquished the lease on Frogmore Cottage in Windsor (People). Their children, Prince Archie, 7, and Princess Lilibet, 5, are expected to start school in the UK in September 2026. The location of the family's new home and the children's school are being kept confidential (Town & Country).
King Charles was officially welcomed to Balmoral with a formal military ceremony on Tuesday of the same week. Several members of the extended royal family were already at the estate, including Princess Anne's children Peter Phillips — with his new wife Harriet Sperling — and Zara and Mike Tindall. Queen Camilla was spotted shopping in a nearby village with her sister, daughter, and three of her grandchildren earlier in the week (Town & Country).
King Charles has continued the tradition of spending August and early September at Balmoral, a pattern held by his late mother, Queen Elizabeth II, who died at the castle in September 2022 and was widely said to consider it her favorite residence (Town & Country).
Harry spent summers at Balmoral throughout his childhood and has visited the estate many times over the years, though it is unclear whether he and his family will visit this summer (Town & Country). The Duke and Duchess of Sussex will not be working royals when they return to the UK (Daily Mail). They first announced their intention to step back from their roles as working members of the royal family in January 2020 (People). King Charles was informed of the couple's plans to move back (People).
Unnamed sources have characterized the Wales family's reaction to the Sussexes' return. Sources told reporters that William and Catherine are "not delighted" about Harry and Meghan's return to the UK (Yahoo Entertainment). Prince William was reportedly blindsided by the decision, according to unnamed sources (Cosmopolitan UK). These claims rest on unnamed insiders and have not been confirmed by Buckingham Palace or Kensington Palace.
The Wales family's last public appearance before the Balmoral trip was in early August 2026 at the Commonwealth Games, where all three children joined their parents. The Commonwealth Games, a sporting event among nations historically tied to the British Empire, drew the full family out in a rare joint appearance (E! News).
For now, Balmoral offers the royal family its usual August rhythm: walks on the moors, church on Sundays, and the relative privacy of a working estate far from London. Whether Harry and Meghan will join the gathering this summer remains an open question.
