Every August, members of the Royal Family join King Charles for a summer break at the Balmoral estate in Aberdeenshire, Scotland. The annual holiday is a long-standing tradition that began decades ago, with King Charles and Prince William having made the journey for years. The new generation of royals also shares in these private family moments.
History of the Balmoral Summer
The tradition started with the late Queen Elizabeth, who spent much time at the Scottish estate. Princess Eugenie once said in a documentary: “I think Granny is the most happy there. I think she really, really loves the Highlands.” The late Queen spent her final days at Balmoral before her death in 2022.
Each August, the Queen would take her husband, the late Prince Philip, and their four children to the estate. Over the years, it evolved to include throngs of grandchildren. Invitations have also been extended to prime ministers, dignitaries, and friends of the family.
The Balmoral estate, originally purchased for Queen Victoria by Prince Albert in 1852, covers approximately 50,000 acres, including forests, farmlands, more than 150 outbuildings and cottages, and the castle.
Royals Invited and Activities
King Charles and Queen Camilla are usually the first to arrive. The invitation is believed to be extended to all family members, working or not. The Prince and Princess of Wales, with their children George, Charlotte, and Louis, attend for a period before school holidays end. William spent most of his childhood summers there.
Other royals who have made the journey in recent years include the Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh and their children, Princess Anne, Zara and Mike Tindall and their children, and many more. Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor used to attend but is believed not to have been invited in recent years. Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have not attended since they quit royal duties in 2020.
The family spends much of their time outside, with activities including horse-riding, bike-riding, picnics, swimming, fishing, and occasionally shooting. They also dine together and watch television. The late Queen even got involved in washing up. Dickie Arbiter, her former Press Secretary, recalled a private lunch with the Queen and Prince Philip that ended with them cleaning dishes. He told True Royalty TV: “And at the end of it, the Queen said, ‘we've got to clear up’ and I took it as my cue as the junior flunky to do the washing up. So I went into the kitchen and started washing up. I heard this footfall behind me and assumed it was the lady-in-waiting coming to give me a hand. I said over my shoulder without even turning, ‘okay, I'll wash you dry’. This very familiar voice behind me said, ‘no I’ll wash, you dry!’ It was the Queen. So she plunged her hands into the fairy liquid - no gloves - and I did the drying up. It was quite an experience to actually do a bit of domesticity with a head of state.”
The Balmoral Test and Kate's Privilege
A unique part of Balmoral summers is the infamous ‘Balmoral test’, which occurs when a family member brings a new partner to meet the family. Many royals have undergone it, including the Princess of Wales, Meghan Markle, Princess Diana, and most recently, Peter Phillips’ wife Harriet Sperling.
Royal expert Omid Scobie described it as more of a “royal initiation”, telling Harper’s Bazaar: “Out of those privileged enough to have been invited to Balmoral Castle during the summer, not everyone has passed. Diana famously flew through it, thanks to her aristocratic background and upbringing, but the likes of Cherie Blair and Prime Minister, Boris Johnson, have not. If you’ve scored an invite, prepare to brush up on your royal protocol, have a wealth of talking points at the ready, an outfit for EVERY occasion (from hunting to black tie) and, most importantly, be on your best behaviour at all times. Social etiquette is a must! If you don’t like the food, eat it anyway. If you don’t like trampling through the Highlands in the wind and rain, tough! Unlike a visit to Buckingham Palace or Windsor Castle, this is the queen’s private residence and a front row seat within her inner sanctum.”
Strict rules surround the summer, with almost never any photos shared. However, when Princess Kate was first invited, the late Queen relaxed this rule. According to royal author Katie Nicholl, the Queen gave Kate permission to bring her camera and take pictures at Balmoral, knowing her love of photography. In her book, Kate: The Future Queen, she writes: “Until now the Queen had met Kate only fleetingly at the wedding of Peter and Autumn Phillips, but she went out of her way to make her feel welcome, giving her permission to take pictures at Balmoral.” In the summer of 2022, Kate captured a photo of the late Queen surrounded by grandchildren and great-grandchildren, one of the rare photos shared from a family summer break.
Harry and Meghan's Snub
In 2019, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle opted out of the family holiday, causing a stir. They were expected to arrive with Prince Archie, who was a few months old, but decided to skip at the last minute. Author Tom Bower claimed in his book Revenge that Meghan felt Archie was "too young at three months to travel by plane to Scotland".
The same month they were due to travel, the Duke and Duchess reportedly took their son to Ibiza, according to Spanish publications, flying on a private plane with their security team. They later travelled to Nice, staying at Elton John's private villa.
