Having received the keys to Edinburgh for the very first time on Monday, King Charles and Queen Camilla are preparing for a busy week of events during Holyrood Week in Scotland and their very first summer holiday hosting members of the royal family at Balmoral.
Sources have told Vanity Fair that Charles will continue the late Queen’s tradition of holidaying at Balmoral instead of his home, Birkhall, and there will be a flurry of royal guests this summer. According to one close friend, the king and queen will spend much of the summer at Balmoral, entertaining family and friends and possibly the prime minister just as the late Queen used to do. “The Queen loved her summers in Balmoral and was a wonderful host. The house was always full of guests coming and going and Charles will be continuing that tradition. That is very important to him,” they said.
Usually, Charles and Camilla stay at Birkhall, their home in Scotland where they spent their honeymoon and have celebrated their wedding anniversary every year since their 2005 wedding. However, with a major shake-up of royal palaces and residences underway, there is speculation that Charles will gift the home to the Prince and Princess of Wales and spend his holidays at Balmoral.
The source added, “Both Charles and Camilla love Birkhall, for them it is home and it would have been the queen’s preference to be at Birkhall because it is quiet, and a proper getaway but the king is keen to follow in his mother’s footsteps by taking up residence at Balmoral. That was Queen Elizabeth’s favorite home and where she loved entertaining every summer. Charles and Camilla are preparing for a busy summer with lots of visits from family.”
One of the highlights for the late queen was hosting her grandchildren and great-grandchildren during the last weekend of August, which involved a sleepover for the great-grandchildren. The Queen would treat them to special treats and gifts on their beds. It is not known whether Charles will continue this particular tradition, however, he has been keen to continue many of his mother’s hobbies and calendar fixtures including Royal Ascot where he and the queen were in attendance for most of the week and even had a winning horse.
Monday marked the start of Royal Week in Scotland, known as Holyrood Week. As well as a special service of thanksgiving at St Giles’ Cathedral on Wednesday where the king will be presented with the ancient crown jewels, Charles and Queen Camilla will attend an investiture service and a traditional garden party as part of the week-long celebrations which will involve meeting representatives from the many Scottish organizations and charities they are involved with.
Prince William and Princess Kate will also accompany the King and Queen at Wednesday’s service which will include a royal procession and Red Arrows fly past.
Each year the monarch spends a week at the Palace of Holyroodhouse in Edinburgh. The Queen’s final appearance was at the Ceremony of the Keys last June when she was accompanied by Edward and Sophie, now the Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh, at the ancient ceremony.
On Monday, Charles received the keys to the city from the Lord Provost Councillor on the palace forecourt for the first time. He will return to England after his week in Scotland to receive President Joe Biden who will have an audience with the king at Windsor Castle. After that Charles will return to Scotland with the Queen for their annual summer holiday.
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Katie Nicholl
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