Why Prince Harry and Meghan Markle chose not to join the royal family’s traditional summer trip to Balmoral.
According to biographer Tom Bower, back in 2019 the couple said their son Archie was too young — only three months old — to make the journey by plane to Scotland. But controversy followed when, around the same time, they were seen taking Archie on a private jet holiday to Ibiza. Many critics saw this as a double standard.
The situation was especially striking because Balmoral has deep personal meaning for Harry. He spent much of his childhood there with Prince William, and it was at Balmoral where he learned of his mother Princess Diana’s death in 1997. Meghan, on the other hand, only visited the Scottish estate once — right after her wedding in 2018.
Fast forward to today, King Charles is continuing the Balmoral tradition with other senior royals, while William, Kate, and their children are also expected to join. Harry and Meghan, however, now spend their summers in California. Recently, they were spotted at a beach in Carpinteria, watching Archie and Lilibet enjoy surfing lessons — a far cry from the quiet countryside traditions of Balmoral.
Meghan and Harry’s decision to skip Balmoral in 2019 added fuel to the criticism they face, especially since they took Archie on another holiday soon after. For Harry, Balmoral is tied to both happy childhood memories and painful moments, while for Meghan, it was never really home. Their absence today highlights how far they’ve distanced themselves from royal traditions, choosing a California lifestyle instead.
