A new poll asks readers whether Prince Harry should be invited to Balmoral this summer, as King Charles begins his annual break at the Scottish estate.
Prince Harry's Absence from Balmoral
Prince Harry has not spent any quality time with his family at Balmoral since stepping down as a senior working royal in 2020. The 41-year-old did travel to the estate on the day his late grandmother, Queen Elizabeth II, passed away in 2022.
Each summer, King Charles has followed his late mother's tradition of spending time at Balmoral, the estate she was particularly fond of. The monarch is thought to have begun his summer break there earlier this week, and is often joined by other family members.
Who Usually Joins the King
Although it is unclear who will join him this year, Princess Anne has frequently joined her brother, as well as the Prince and Princess of Wales and their three children, Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis. The Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh have also been known to prioritise family time every August.
Now residing in California, Harry has not spent a summer there since before his decision to step down from royal duties. His wife, Meghan Markle, has never joined the family there, nor have their children, Prince Archie, 7, and Princess Lilibet, 5.
Harry's Memories of Balmoral
Harry previously wrote about spending time at Balmoral in his 2023 memoir Spare. He wrote: "To me, Balmoral was always simply Paradise. A cross between Disney World and some sacred Druid grove."
He added: "I was always too busy fishing, shooting, running up and down 'the hill' to notice anything off about the feng shui of the old castle."
Harry continued: "What I'm trying to say is I was happy there. In fact, it's possible that I was never happier than that one golden summer day at Balmoral: August 30, 1997."
The date refers to the day before his late mother, Diana, Princess of Wales, died while visiting Paris.
