Duchess of Edinburgh, Prince Edward's Balmoral trip faces unexpected twist

The Duchess of Edinburgh and Prince Edward’s Balmoral trip is expected to be cut short. 

Sophie, 59, and Prince Edward, 60, are currently staying in Scotland as guests of King Charles and Queen Camilla at Balmoral Castle. 

Following in the tradition of his late mother, Queen Elizabeth II, King Charles is spending the summer at the Aberdeenshire estate, reported GB News.

However, the Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh will likely have to shorten their stay this year. 

Their 16-year-old son, James, Earl of Wessex, is awaiting significant news as he joins the Royal Family at Balmoral for their summer break. James, who recently completed his GCSE exams, will receive his results on Thursday, August 22.

Attending Radley College in Oxfordshire, an eight-hour drive from Balmoral, James is expected to be accompanied by his parents at the college when he collects his results. As a result, Edward and Sophie will need to cut their Balmoral visit short.

The Duke and Duchess have made a concerted effort to provide James with as normal an upbringing as possible, given his royal background.

When asked in 2020 if her children had a "normal" childhood, Sophie told The Times: "What’s normal? They go to a regular school.

"They go to friends for sleepovers and parties. At weekends we do lots of dog walking and stay with friends.

"I guess not everyone’s grandparents live in a castle, but where you are going is not the important part, or who they are.

"When they are with the Queen, she is their grandmother.

"We try to bring them up with the understanding they are very likely to have to work for a living.

"Hence we made the decision not to use HRH titles. They have them and can decide to use them from 18, but I think it’s highly unlikely."