Prince Harry & Meghan Markle Skip The Queen’s Summer Retreat This Year

As the summer season is coming to an end, royal watchers are wondering why they haven’t caught a glimpse of Prince Harry and Meghan Castle at Balmoral Castle. It is a known tradition for the entire royal family to gather at the Scottish estate upon the invitation of Queen Elizabeth, who enjoys a good summer retreat there.

Prince Harry and Meghan were the only high-profile royal family members who were a no-show this year. Almost all of Queen Elizabeth’s grandchildren have been spotted at Balmoral this year, including Prince William and Kate Middleton (with their three adorable children), Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie.

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Prince Harry & Meghan Markle’s Busy Summer

While it looks odd that Prince Harry and Meghan opted out of the family reunion, a royal insider revealed that they did not snub Queen Elizabeth’s invite. According to the source, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex are close to the Queen and regularly see her, even on non-occasion days.

“When the Queen is there [Windsor Castle] on a Sunday afternoon, it is a five-minute walk up the hill for tea with Granny. It is gorgeous,” a palace staff told People.

Harry and Meghan, who welcomed their first child this year, also had a very busy summer. The couple took their three-month-old baby Archie to two trips last month–first in Ibiza to celebrate Meghan’s birthday and then to France upon an invitation from Elton John.

The Sussexes are probably gearing up for a busier season ahead. Meghan Markle is set to make her official return to royal duties after her maternity leave, while Prince Harry recently traveled to Amsterdam to talk about sustainable tourism. The young family will be traveling to Africa later this month for a royal tour.

Before their royal duties commence, Meghan took a solo trip to the U.S. to watch her friend Serena Williams in the US Open. The Duchess of Sussex reportedly boarded a commercial plane for her personal trip last weekend.

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Meghan and Harry’s Solo Foundation

Coinciding with their decision to skip this summer’s royal family gathering at Balmoral, Prince Harry and Meghan have also decided to focus on their solo foundation. The two have officially parted ways with Prince William and Kate Middleton’s Royal Foundation to create their own group.

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex will now be working under the Sussex Royal Foundation. As part of its initial charities, Meghan is set to release her own clothing line for women empowerment.

In the meantime, keep up with Celebrating the Soaps for all the latest news right here!