The Queen’s said to have axed her usual Balmoral welcome event following her arrival at her Aberdeenshire estate in late July.
Her Majesty has been suffering some health issues of late, which has led to the 96 year old missing out on a handful of events in recent months – including at her Platinum Jubilee.
Now in a recent development, the Queen’s scrapped her usual Balmoral Castle welcome for the first time in decades.
The event is set to take place today, Monday 8 August, but will be replaced with a smaller, more private greeting instead.
A royal source said: “The traditional welcome to Balmoral is normally cemented in the Queen’s calendar and something Her Majesty really enjoys, being able to greet locals who travel to see her."
“It’s a bitter disappointment the ceremony will not take place in its traditional form," they continued to tell Mirror Online.
Another source added to the publication that the change is a “sign of things to come”.
Usually Her Majesty would greet the locals at the gates of the Castle to mark the start of her annual holiday, and would inspect a Guard of Honour from Balaklava Company, 5th Battalion, The Royal Regiment of Scotland.
The Queen, who serves as Colonel-in-Chief of the Royal Regiment of Scotland, will instead attend a private occasion on the Balmoral lawns within the confines of the Castle.
The news of the Queen’s change of plans come afterHer Majesty reportedly invited Prince Harry and Meghan Markle to come stay at her Scottish estatein a bid to extend an olive branch to the couple.
The Balmoral Estateis a favourite with Queen Elizabeth and she headed up to the Highlands on Thursday 21 July, where she plans to stay at Craigowan Lodge for several weeks.
A source toldThe Sun: “Staff have been told to expect the full list of royals including Harry, Meghan and their children Archie and Lilibet.
"They are preparing for the Sussexes.”
Meghan, Harry, 37, and their kids were recently in the UK as part of theQueen’s Platinum Jubileecelebrations in June.
Another insider told the publication: “Balmoral is the perfect place for them to spend a little bit of quality time with the Queen.
"They barely had 15 minutes with her at the jubilee.”
Megan, 41, is said to have mixed emotions about the pair's pending return to the UK asit may spark Harry to want to move back home.
A source claimed that while the Duchess of Sussex "doesn't doubt" her husband's commitment to wanting to spend the rest of his life in the US, but she may worry "over how these types of visits can pull at his heartstrings".
"It’s a bittersweet invite for Meghan, because on one hand it fuels her and Harry’s confidence that they are very much still part of the family," a Balmoral insider told Closer magazine.
"But after so much time away, she fears Harry will be lured back into the fold and want to return to the UK.”
READ NEXT:
'William broke Royal rules with Euros hugs – and it was deliberate,' says expert
'Prince George will be a celebrity as much as a royal, I predict fist bumps,' says expert
'William's public affection for Charlotte is Diana's legacy', says Royal expert
William and Kate don't want to 'weigh George down' with the 'burden of being King'
Get all the latest royal updates straight to your inbox with OK!'s weekly Royal newsletter
Source: Read Full Article
