Why Prince Harry, Meghan Markle declined King Charles' Balmoral invite

For King Charles and the rest of the royal family, summer means Balmoral — except for Prince Harry and Meghan Markle.

Each August, the family flocks to the Scottish Highlands to unwind before returning to duty. But in 2019, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex broke tradition, and they used their newborn first child as an excuse.

According to Tom Bower’s 2022 book Revenge, Meghan decided Archie was “too young at three months to travel by plane to Scotland.”

Yet, that same summer, the Sussexes reportedly whisked Archie off on a private jet to Ibiza, complete with their security team.

The move raised eyebrows, especially given Harry’s deep ties to Balmoral. The Prince spent childhood summers there with his older brother Prince William, and it was at Balmoral where he learned of Princess Diana’s death in 1997.

Meghan herself only visited the estate once during her short-lived royal tenure, shortly after her wedding in 2018.

This summer, King Charles is carrying on tradition, already joined by Prince Andrew, Sarah Ferguson, and other senior royals, with William, Kate, and their children expected to arrive in the coming weeks.

Meanwhile, the Sussexes have been enjoying their summers in their hometown of California. Earlier this month, the family was seen at Santa Claud Beach in Carpinteria, where 6-year-old Archie and 4-year-old Lilibet were reportedly taking surfing lessons as Harry and Meghan looked on proudly.