The King and Queen attended church at Balmoral today, following the King’s reunion with Prince Harry on Wednesday and ahead of a busy week in which the Duchess of Kent’s funeral will take place and President Trump will arrive on English soil.
Charles and Camilla headed north of the border following the King’s summit over tea with his youngest son at Clarence House earlier this week.
Sat side-by-side in the royal Bentley on Sunday morning, the King, 76, and Queen, 78, looked relaxed as they attended the traditional service at nearby Craithie Kirk.
With the Scottish sun shining, the royal couple didn’t need coats, with Camilla looking elegant in a green tartan ensemble with a green pillbox hat with a feather adornment and Charles donning a smart navy suit.
After what is likely to have been an emotional week for the King, as he spent time with Prince Harry for the first time in over a year, the couple appeared to be enjoying a restful Sunday at the Scottish royal residence.
While tensions between the Kings’ sons Prince William and Prince Harry appear to remain, the reconciliation meeting between father and son could be the first step towards Harry’s family returning to the UK for a visit next year, a royal source claimed this week.Â
The Clarence House rendez-vous could pave the way for Archie and Lilibet to visit their grandfather for the first time in more than three years.
The Duke of Sussex spent 54 minutes having a cup of tea with King Charles ‘rebuilding their father-and-son relationship‘.
The King and Queen looked relaxed as attended a church service at Crathie Kirk near Balmoral on Sunday
Queen Camilla looked elegant in a green tartan ensemble as she sat beside the King for the short journey to church this morning
When they last met in February 2024 after the monarch was diagnosed with cancer, Harry’s audience was limited to just over 15 minutes.
Asked how his father was by a reporter shortly after arriving at the Invictus reception, Harry – who turns 41 next Monday – replied: ‘Yes, he’s great, thank you.’
‘The King wants to be a grandfather to his grandchildren so thatâs an important pull. He was so pleased when they came over for Queen Elizabethâs Platinum Jubilee and he was able to spend some time with them,’ a royal source told the Daily Mail on Thursday.
‘Itâs become clear that Harry now regrets some of his actions. He wants to reset his relationship with his family and with the people of the UK.
‘Itâs hard to see him ever coming back to live in Britain but this may be the start of something that at least allows them to be a functioning wider family again.’
But whether Meghan Markle will want to come with them remains another matter, the insider has said. Meghan hasn’t returned to the UK since the Queen’s death in September 2022.
Today Harry’s spokesman said he has ‘loved being back in the UK’ and a source has suggested he could return soon with his children in tow.
The King and Queen, pictured close to Balmoral, will return to London this week for the Duchess of Kent’s funeral in Westminster Cathedral on Tuesday
The royals make their way through the pretty countryside around the Scottish royal residence
The Duke of Sussex during a visit to take part in a panel discussion on how social action positively impacts mental health in London last week
Prince Harry has been building bridges with his father the King on his recent trip to the UK
Charles last saw Archie and Lilibet in June 2022, when Harry and Meghan returned for Queen Elizabeth II’s Platinum Jubilee celebrations. He has only met Lilibet once and Archie a handful of times.
Harry’s taxpayer-funded security was reduced after he and Meghan quit royal duties – sparking his legal battle with the Home Office – but the Sussexes would likely receive armed bodyguards when visiting the King.
‘There are all sorts of obstacles to that happening again because of Harryâs insistence that they have guaranteed armed police protection.
‘But maybe there is a way of getting them over to Balmoral or Sandringham next year or another royal residence where they are within the security perimeter’, the insider said.
The King and Queen will return to London this week for the Duchess of Kent’s funeral in Westminster Cathedral on Tuesday.Â
The service will be attended by the King, Queen and other senior Royal Family members.
President Trump also arrives in London this week. The President and First Lady Melania Trump will meet the Prince and Princess of Wales on Wednesday morning in the Windsor estate grounds.
They will then meet the King and Queen for an open-air greeting. Trump will also receive a fly-past by the Red Arrows and UK and US F-35 military jets on the East Lawn at Windsor Castle on Wednesday, as well as a special Beating Retreat military ceremony.
