William and Kate's plans to 'relax and unwind' over the summer after a tough year

Prince William and Kate Middleton have had a really hard year, but thankfully they have at least one great thing to look forward to this summer. The Prince and Princess of Wales are due to join King Charles at his estate in the Scottish Highlands, Balmoral Castle, with their children Prince George, Princess Charlotte, and Prince Louis.

Balmoral is a very special place for the Royal Family, since it was one of the late Queen Elizabeth II's favourite homes. It is also the place where she passed away in September 2022, and many members of the Royal Family still descend on the estate each summer.

A source confirmed to Express: "William and Kate will be joining the Royal Family at Balmoral. It will be a rather low key affair this year where everyone will meet to just relax and unwind."

Princess Kate was diagnosed with cancer several months ago, publicly announcing her diagnosis and treatment via a video statement in March. Other royals, including Princess Anne, Tim Laurence, and Mike and Zara Tindall, are expected to go to Balmoral too this year, but as you might expect it's highly unlikely there'll be a Sussex sighting in the Highlands.

"Harry and Meghan will not be joining the rest of the Royal Family in August," the source continued. "The King is keen for it to be a happy family occasion which will see members of the Royal Family come together for just over a week to discuss plans for the future and to unwind. The Sussexes will not be part of that meeting but may join the King at a later date when the Queen and the rest of the Royal Family have left."

According to the insider, there's still a possibility that the Sussexes will make the journey to Scotland later on in the King's stay, so that Charles can build a stronger bond with his grandchildren Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet.