Wimbledon always brings an air of excitement, but this year’s final was especially heartwarming as the Princess of Wales, Catherine, made her grand entrance. The crowd erupted into a stunning ovation, and no one was beaming with more pride than her adorable daughter, Princess Charlotte. On a sunny Sunday, following her spectacular appearance since revealing chemotherapy treatment for cancer, the Princess is expected to join Prince William and her children at the royal family’s summer holiday at Balmoral in August.
However, tension has arisen between King Charles and his eldest son, Prince William. A friend of Charles mentioned that he isn't as sentimental as William. The key word to understanding the Prince of Wales' uncompromising view is simple: privacy. According to a well-placed source, the royal family will make their way to the Balmoral estate after it closes to the public on August 4. The source adds that mid-August has been penciled in for the arrivals, with some family members possibly attending a shooting event on August 12. It will be a low-key affair this year, where everyone will meet to relax and unwind.
Others on the guest list include Princess Anne, her husband Tim Lawrence, Mike and Zara Tindall, and their children. King Charles is said to be visiting Castle May in the days leading up to the family's gathering at Balmoral and is thought to be staying at Birkhall on the Scottish estate. The King is keen for it to be a happy family occasion, which will see members of the royal family come together for over a week to discuss plans for the future and to unwind.
As Balmoral opens to paying tourists for the first time, a split between the King and the Prince of Wales has become evident. King Charles has opened the doors of the castle to tourists; previously, only the Balmoral gardens were open to the public. This year’s tours mark the first time the actual castle has been made publicly accessible in any significant way, and it turns out that Prince William is less than thrilled about it. Friends of William have said that the 41-year-old did not instantly warm to Charles’ vision of the public wandering through rooms that his children, George, Charlotte, and Louis, have the run of each summer.
In April, tickets for the Balmoral tour, costing $190, went on sale and sold out in two hours, earning His Majesty a tidy $646,000. The reason for this difference in opinion comes down to a certain degree of pragmatism on His Majesty’s part. With the exception of Birkhall, which Charles shares with Camilla on the Balmoral estate, he feels like everywhere is temporary accommodation rather than his place of nurture. A friend of the King mentioned that this is due to his upbringing: he never stayed in one place for more than three months at a time, so he regards them more as lodging than home. By nature, he is someone who opens doors to people, not closes them.
This difference points to a bigger split between the pair. A friend of William said, “William likes his privacy, but he knows better than to pick a fight with his dad. Charles has always been an advocate of opening all these places up.” He and his wife, Catherine, the Princess of Wales, have guarded their three young children’s privacy with intense vigilance, ensuring their childhoods bear no resemblance to their father’s. They manage daily activities like school, violin lessons, and dentist appointments without fear of paparazzi lurking nearby. Maintaining their family’s privacy doesn’t align with the idea of visitors being urged to exit through the gift shop.
This difference of opinion between father and son reflects a broader generational and attitudinal divide. In some ways, William could not be more different from Charles.
