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King Charles is set to enjoy an extended summer in Scotland as he returns to the ‘traditional’ royal holiday schedule.
The late Queen spent three months each year at her Highland hideaway Balmoral, but last year the King returned to London early, leading to speculation he would not adopt his mother’s approach.
Aides say Charles is planning to stay north of the border for longer this summer, in keeping with the late Queen’s pattern, and say he is looking forward to a rest.
Over the past six weeks, alongside meetings and engagements, he has crammed in Royal Ascot, the Japan State Visit, Holyrood Week and a visit to the Welsh Parliament, as well as welcoming a new Prime Minister.
This week alone, which Palace insiders admit was ‘intensely busy’, Charles visited the Channel Islands, attended the State Opening of Parliament and met world leaders at Blenheim Palace.
King Charles at Balmoral last August. The King is set to have an extended stay in Scotland this summer as he looks forward to a rest
Charles has had an ‘intensely busy’ week, including attending the State Opening of Parliament on Wednesday
The packed schedule has led to concerns that the King, 75, has been overdoing it as he undergoes cancer treatment, but aides insist his diary is very carefully calibrated on medical advice.
The mood at the Palace has been ‘very encouraged’ by the recent programme, with the royal calendar looking reassuringly normal.
On the first Saturday of August, the King is set to don his kilt for the Mey Highland Games in John o’Groats. It is expected he and Queen Camilla will stay at the Castle of Mey, the beloved former home of the Queen Mother, nestled in Caithness at the tip of Scotland.
For the rest of the summer, they will stay either at Birkhall, or the late Queen’s beloved Balmoral, inviting family and – as is tradition – the Prime Minister.
And on the first Saturday in September, the King will join the annual Braemar Gathering at the Cairngorms National Park, a firm favourite of the late Queen.
The second anniversary of her death, like the first, will be spent in quiet reflection at Balmoral.
The King and Queen are expected to stay at the Castle of Mey in Caithness the first week of August
In October, they will fly to Australia and Samoa for Charles’s first foreign royal tour since his diagnosis. Australian sources say health concerns mean the King will not undertake all-day events.
It is believed he will visit the New South Wales Parliament House and a major attraction, possibly the Sydney Opera House.
The King and Queen will then fly to Samoa for the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting.
The Mail on Sunday understands aides are scouting for accommodation on the island, with options including an eco-friendly resort.
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