Charles, William and Kate joined by controversial royal on first Balmoral trip
King Charles, Queen Camilla, Prince William and Kate headed to church in Balmoral today as the Royal Family enjoy their first summer break there since the death of the late Queen.
The monarch is expected to spend three weeks at the royal residence, to which he was officially welcomed by a guard of honour featuring a Shetland pony earlier this week. Today, he was seen visiting Crathie Kirk for a Sunday church service.
The Prince and Princess of Wales were also spotted driving to the service, and were joined by Prince Andrew, who was stripped of his HRH title last year amid outrage over his association with paedophile Jeffrey Epstein, as well as his out-of-court settlement in a US civil sex case.
Prince Edward and his wife Sophie, the Duchess of Edinburgh, were accompanied by Anne, the Princess Royal, as well as Vice Admiral Sir Tim Laurence. The late Queen's lady-in-waiting, Lady Susan Hussey, was also seen among those heading to church.
The Prince and Princess of Wales were also spotted driving to the serviceHer appearance comes after she quit her honorary role as a Lady of the Household following a storm over her comments to Ngozi Fulani. Following the allegations, Buckingham Palace released a statement condemning the "unacceptable and deeply regrettable comments". She now appears to be back working with the royals, and was also pictured with King Charles in January going to church on the Royal Family's Norfolk estate.
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Today's gathering of royals is thought to be one of the largest since the Queen's passing in September last year. During the King's arrival to the castle on Monday, a small ceremony was held outside the gates with a Guard of Honour.
Lady Susan Hussey heading to Crathie Kirk this morningShetland pony Corporal Cruachan IV, mascot of the Royal Regiment of Scotland, received a rub on the nose from the King - who was recently announced as Colonel-in-Chief, succeeding his mother in the role. The late Queen always spent her summers at Balmoral, welcoming various members of her family at different points throughout her stay, for a break in the Scottish countryside.
During his visit, the King will hold a royal summit to lay out the future direction of the monarchy, sources have revealed. He is expected to tell the Prince and Princess of Wales of his intention to carve out precise roles for them as well as for himself and Queen Camilla.
Prince Andrew being driven to church near BalmoralA source close to the King said: "His Majesty is very clear. The Commonwealth must be at the very heart of his reign. He sees it as his utmost duty to fulfil the sincere wish of his late mother, that one of his central roles must be to ensure not only the survival but the robustness (of the organisation)."
Charles will deliver objectives for at least the next year, including foreign travel, engagements and key aims. The source said the King sees the roles of William and Kate "being at the heart of cementing their own future and that of the monarchy at large". Insiders suggest the King is very keen to capitalise on their increasing popularity with "the Princess's undoubted star quality", as one official described.
Prince Edward drives his wife Sophie to churchAs one senior civil servant said of Charles "(he) hopes to use the symbolism tied into his mother's legacy to offer a hand of friendship, which might get harder as the years go by". Charles is also understood to have made plans to visit Canada and Australia next year, in line with requests from the Foreign and Commonwealth Office.
He will remind his closest family that the major Commonwealth realms must be brought closer to Britain. In the face of growing republicanism and the Prince and Princess of Wales' disastrous tour of the Caribbean last year, the task has been described by senior officials in the Foreign Office as "gargantuan".
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