Meghan Markle has experienced many “firsts” in her royal life so far, but she still has one to cross off her list. The Daily Mail reports that the Duchess of Sussex will visit Balmoral, Queen Elizabeth’s Scottish retreat, for the first time next week. Meghan, Prince Harry, and their baby, Archie, will spend time with the queen and Prince Philip.
As the Mail notes, British royals tend to spend their vacations at Balmoral, taking up activities like salmon fishing and grouse hunting. But Meghan has made animal rights one of her platforms, so it’s unclear whether she’ll participate. She reportedly also follows a vegan diet during the week.
Prince William and Kate Middleton recently returned from a trip to Balmoral, so the timing of Meghan and Harry’s visit may seem suspect. However, a source said that the Duke and Duchess of Sussex did not intentionally schedule their time at Balmoral to occur after William and Kate left.
With summer coming to an end, it seems like the Sussexes have recently been focusing on family outings ahead of their whirlwind fall tour to southern Africa.
The International Business Times reports that Meghan and Harry are reportedly scheduled to visit Princess Diana’s gravesite on August 31, the 22nd anniversary of her tragic death. Diana’s grave is located on Althorp estate, the Spencer-family property in North Hampshire, England. Harry last visited the gravesite in 2017, on the 20th anniversary of his mother’s death.
Harry has reflected on the memories of his mother in interviews many times and it’s clear she is still a very important part of his life.
In the documentary Diana, Our Mother: Her Life and Legacy, he revealed a major regret about his last phone-call with his mom.
“If I’d known that that was the last time I was going to speak to my mother the things that I would – the things I would have said to her. All I do remember regretting for the rest of my life how short that phone call is. Looking back now, I have to live with that for the rest of my life,” he said, as reported by People Magazine .
In the interview following the news of his engagement to Meghan, Prince Harry said that he believed his mother and his wife would have gotten along very well and that they would have been as “thick as thieves.” It’s likely the visit to the gravesite will be an emotional one.
