King Charles will gather the Royal Family together at Balmoral for summer holidays but with an important change from tradition.
Balmoral Castle, in Scotland, was a favourite of the late Queen Elizabeth and the royals would spend the summer there since the time of Victoria when she acquired the estate.
But this year the family’s stay at the 50,000-acre estate in Aberdeenshire is likely to be shorter.
Currently the grounds, gardens and exhibitions at Balmoral are being redecorated and they will remain open to the public until mid-August, giving a shorter window for the royals to stay.
The late Queen would typically stay at the castle until October but it is expected that Charles and his family will head off before that to get back for public engagements.
“We expect the family will be together there in the summer. But diaries are still being sorted,” a royal source told the Express. It is understood that at least some of the family will stay at the castle.
Charles and Camilla have continued to stay at their Jacobean home, Birkhall, on the edge of the estate since the death of Queen Elizabeth.
The royals holidaying at Balmoral have enjoyed fishing, country walks and the mountainous views.
There have been claims that Charles wants to turn Balmoral into a museum in her memory.
Various personal artefacts and items of clothing worn by the monarchy at significant points in her 70-year reign could potentially feature in exhibits, with the possible inclusion of selected pieces from the royal jewellery collection also likely to draw visitors.
Currently the decor is being modernised with royal biographer Ingrid Seward, the editor-in-chief of Majesty , saying it is being done by interior designer Piers von Westenholz, a friend of the King.
“It had got a bit shabby,” she reportedly said.
Meanwhile, Charles has given up his £1.2million cottage in rural Wales as he begins to downsize his property portfolio.
The monarch used the luxury farmhouse Llwynywermod regularly when he was Prince of Wales after purchasing it in 2007.
But sources said it is "unlikely" Charles, 74, will continue to utilise the property as often now he is King. Six of the English field maples, which formed the avenue of trees at William and Kate's 2011 wedding, were later rehomed at the Welsh retreat.
The King has paid rent on Llwynywermod, which exists on a whopping 192-acre estate near Llandovery in Carmarthenshire.
The lease is due to expire later in the summer, with Buckingham Palace confirming the King gave notice to the Duchy of Cornwall earlier this year.
