King Charles Takes Queen Elizabeth's Armoured Bentley to Crathie Kirk After Cousin King Harald's Death

King Charles III, Queen Camilla and Princess Anne attended a Sunday service at Crathie Kirk, the church a short drive from the Balmoral estate, days after the death of the King's "dear cousin" King Harald V of Norway (Hello!).

Charles said he and Camilla learned of King Harald's passing "with the most profound sadness" (Cosmopolitan UK, 28 August 2026). The Norwegian king, a member of Europe's interconnected royal families, was Charles's cousin.

What caught the eye on the drive to church was not the destination but the car. The royals travelled to Crathie Kirk in a burgundy Bentley Limousine — the state car — rather than the Land Rover they typically use while staying in Scotland (Hello!). The Bentley is believed to have been commissioned for Queen Elizabeth II's golden jubilee, which marked 50 years on the throne.

The late Queen had a hand in the design. She requested the wrap-around windows so she could be seen from all angles and wave to well-wishers. The rear seat was built to her height, and the rear-hinged doors open to a 90-degree angle for dignified, easy entry and exit. Bentley even designed handbag stowage around the dimensions of the Queen's favourite bags.

Beneath the polished exterior, the state car is built to survive. The cabin is reinforced with armour plating and can reportedly withstand chemical attacks, explosions, and tyre-ripping spikes. None of that was on display during the quiet Sunday run from Balmoral to the parish church that has served the royal family since Queen Victoria's day.

Charles has been spending his summer in Scotland, having begun his annual move north in early August with a stop at the Castle of Mey on the north coast (Instagram, 9 August 2026). He was photographed driving his own car near Balmoral in Aberdeenshire the following week (Facebook, 23 August 2026), and on 24 August he was joined by the Prince and Princess of Wales, William and Catherine, for Sunday church at Crathie Kirk (Instagram, 24 August 2026).

Balmoral has been a place of family milestones. Queen Elizabeth II died at the estate on 8 September 2022, and Charles became king that same day (Reuters; royal.uk). The castle remains the royal family's private Scottish residence, and the Sunday drive to Crathie Kirk remains a fixture of each summer stay — the vehicle, this week, was the difference.