Prince William drives to Craithe Kirk near Balmoral Castle with Kate Middleton and Prince Andrew.Photo:Peter Jolly Northpix/Shutterstock
Peter Jolly Northpix/Shutterstock
Kate Middleton,Prince WilliamandPrince Andreware carpooling at Balmoral.
On Sunday, the Prince and Princess of Wales and the Duke of York — who is nolonger a working royal due to his association with Jeffrey Epstein— drove together to Crathie Kirk nearBalmoral Castle. Crathie Kirk is the go-to church for the British royals during stays in Scotland, and the outing comes amid the family’s first summer stay at Balmoral ofKing Charles’ reign.
Prince William, 41, drove to the service with his uncle in the front passenger seat and his wife in the back on the way there. The Princess of Wales, 41, switched seats with Andrew for the car ride after.
King Charles, 74, andQueen Camilla, 76, are continuingQueen Elizabeth’s tradition of privately vacationing in the Scottish Highlands in August and will likely remain there through his Accession Day. Charles acceded the throne when his mother died “peacefully” at age 96 on Sept. 8, 2022, at her beloved Balmoral.
Prince William drives to Craithe Kirk near Balmoral Castle with Kate Middleton.Peter Jolly Northpix/Shutterstock
Charles and Camila drove to church on Sunday in another car, whilePrince Edward,Sophie, Duchess of Edinburgh,Princess AnneandVice Admiral Sir Timothy Laurencealso rode together.
Lady Susan Husseywas also spotted driving to Craithe Kirk and smiled from the passenger’s seat. The longtime lady-in-waiting to the late Queen Elizabeth resigned from her palace aide position following aracist incidentat Buckingham Palace in November 2022 and has since joined the royals forchurch at Sandringhamover the winter. Though Lady Susan’s latest appearance signifies that she remains within the royal fold, she is no longer a member of King Charles' team.
Lady Susan Hussey drives to Craithe Kirk near Balmoral Castle.Peter Jolly Northpix/Shutterstock
Prince Andrew, 63, also stepped back from public duties when his affiliation withEpstein, who died in 2019 while awaiting federal sex-trafficking charges, came to light. In January 2022, the day after a judge rejected Prince Andrew’s attempt to haveVirginia Giuffre’ssexual assault lawsuit against him dismissed, Buckingham Palace announced that Queen Elizabeth hadstripped her sonof his military titles and patronages. The Duke of York would no longer undertake public engagements as a working royal or use the “His Royal Highness” styling.
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Prince Andrew has denied any wrongdoing and settled with Giuffre out of court in February 2022. Some of his former military appointments wererecently redistributedto other members of the royal family, including Kate and Sophie.
Prince Edward, Timothy Laurence, Sophie, Duchess of Edinburgh and Princess Anne drive to Craithe Kirk near Balmoral Castle.Peter Jolly Northpix/Shutterstock
While Andrew is no longer a working royal, he retained his title as the Duke of York and kept his place in the line of succession to the throne, which is currently eighth behindPrince HarryandMeghan Markle’s two children.
Although he no longer carries out royal duties, Andrew still attends family events. He stepped out for thetraditional Christmas Day church outingat St. Mary Magdalene in December,Easter Sunday church serviceat St. George’s Chapel in April and Charles’historic coronationat Westminster Abbey in May. While he did not play a role in the church service or appear on the balcony of Buckingham Palace, he sat with fellow members of the royal family at theCoronation Concertand next to his ex-wifeSarah Ferguson.
King Charles and Queen Camilla drive to Craithe Kirk near Balmoral Castle.Peter Jolly Northpix/Shutterstock
Though they were not spotted during the royal ramble to Craithe Kirk on Sunday, the Duke and Duchess of York’s daughtersPrincess BeatriceandPrincess Eugeniereportedly arrivedat Balmoral for the royal family’s annual retreat last week. Balmoral was Queen Elizabeth’s summer sanctuary throughout her record-breaking reign where shetraditionally spentthe month of August. Family and friends convened at the castle and made the most of the grounds with outdoor activities like hunting, fishing, horseback riding and picnics, past times that King Charles will likely continue.
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King Charles had already been in Scotland forseveral weeksbefore he wasceremoniously welcomedto Balmoral on Aug. 21, signaling the kickoff of his stay. The monarch (who was recently announced as the new Colonel-in-Chief of the Royal Regiment of Scotland) inspected a Guard of Honour of the Balaklava Company, 5th Battalion The Royal Regiment of Scotland, outside Balmoral, and met Corporal Cruachan IV, a playful Shetland pony who serves as the mascot of the Royal Regiment of Scotland — just like his mother traditionally did.
On Saturday, the King and Queen Camilla attended another ceremony on the grounds of Balmoral, where they presented with a new colour (regimental flag) to the Royal Guard.
source: people.com
