King Charles and Queen Camilla were seen attending a church service at Crathie Kirk on the Balmoral estate in Aberdeenshire on Sunday 18 January. The King, 77, travelled in a black Range Rover alongside the Queen, 78, who wore a winter coat and furry hat. It is the first time Charles has been spotted at Balmoral in 2026, having spent Christmas and the rest of 2025 at Sandringham in Norfolk.
The outing comes as Prince Harry is expected to arrive in the UK for his High Court trial against Associated Newspapers Limited (ANL), publisher of The Daily Mail. The case is scheduled to begin on 19 January. Despite being geographically closer once Harry lands on British soil, father and son are not expected to reunite during his stay, as the King is set to remain in Scotland for much of the month.
The Duke of Sussex, who lives in California with his wife Meghan Markle and their two children, faces continued uncertainty over whether he will receive paid security during his visits. Author Robert Jobson has argued in The HELLO! Royal Club that Harry should be granted automatic police protection on these occasions without question, according to the source.
While the pair are understood to be in regular contact, royal sources reportedly said Charles does not wish to be associated with any court proceedings and will therefore give his son a wide berth. Their last in-person meeting took place in September, which was their first in 19 months.
Separately, the Prince and Princess of Wales are scheduled to visit Stirling on 20 January, where they will meet the Team GB and Paralympic GB curling squads at the National Curling Academy ahead of the Winter Olympics and Paralympics. The Balmoral Castle official Instagram account has also announced that tickets for spring and summer 2026 visits are now available to book online.
