Afua Hagan is a contributor to CTVNews.ca, focusing on the Royal Family. Based in London and Accra, Hagan is a regular commentator on the royals across a variety of international outlets, and is a leading voice on diversity in Britain. Every August, the Royal Family vanishes behind the gates of Balmoral for what’s officially billed as a private family holiday. Except nothing about a royal guest list is really private – it’s basically a scorecard of who’s still in the King’s good graces, and who’s working their way back in. And this year’s list is a particularly good read. Balmoral stays open to visitors until Aug. 9, after which King Charles and Queen Camilla settle in for the long Highland stretch. There’s no official invite list – royals tend to drift in over the summer rather than all showing up for one big dinner – but the shape of who’s expected (and who isn’t) tells you almost everything about where things stand right now. Let’s start with the storyline everyone actually wants to talk about: Harry and Meghan. Harry landed in Britain in early July for engagements tied to the 2027 Invictus Games in Birmingham, and things did not start smoothly. A palace residence had been offered to him, then promptly pulled – the BBC reported that officials said he’d accepted too late to sort out the security and staffing – and Harry’s camp made no secret of how frustrating that felt. But the trip didn’t end there. Meghan quietly flew in with Archie and Lilibet, and the family spent part of the visit at Althorp, the Spencer estate where Diana grew up and is buried. Meghan later posted photos that appeared to show Harry and the kids carrying flowers on the grounds. Then came the moment nobody quite expected: on July 10, the King and Queen hosted the whole Sussex family at Highgrove. It was the first time the King had seen his California-based grandchildren since the Platinum Jubilee in 2022, and Meghan’s first trip to the U.K. since the Queen died that September. A real thaw, by any measure. And remarkably, not a single paparazzi shot emerged of Meghan and the kids in the U.K. But a thaw isn’t a reconciliation. Harry and William are still not in a good place, and there’s no indication the brothers saw each other at all during the visit. And that gap matters more than it might seem, because a quiet, contained afternoon with the King at Highgrove is one thing. A full family holiday with William, Kate, Harry and Meghan all under one roof at Balmoral is an entirely different level of difficult and is far from on the cards. So no, the Sussexes aren’t expected this summer at Balmoral. There’s a next chapter, though: Harry’s due back in September for the WellChild Awards, and word is his father the King will offer him a room at Buckingham Palace again, with Harry likely to say yes this time, rather than let it drag out. Whether Meghan and the kids come too is still unknown, and neither the palace nor Harry’s team has confirmed anything. Even if he does stay at the palace, don’t assume that means another sit-down with Charles – the King is expected to still be in Scotland for most of September. Now, the people who are definitely on the invite list. The Wales family are the safest bet on the list, likely staying at Tam-Na-Ghar, the cottage on the Balmoral estate the Queen Mother left to Prince William. This year’s stay carries a bit more weight than usual, coming just before Prince George starts at Eton this autumn, one last stretch of ordinary family time before things get busier. It’s also a reminder of what’s really propping up this era of the monarchy: with the pool of working royals shrinking, William and Catherine aren’t just relatives who show up for photos. They’re the future. Expect the usual supporting cast too – Princess Anne and Tim Laurence, the Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh, Zara and Mike Tindall, Peter Phillips and his children – the crowd that turns Balmoral into barbecues and hill walks rather than palace formality. Beatrice and Eugenie are likely welcome as well; King Charles has consistently drawn a line between his nieces and the mess surrounding their father. Which brings us to Andrew. He’s assumed to be out. No invitation is expected following his arrest in February over allegations of misconduct in public office, which he denies and which remain under investigation. He’s living a quiet, mostly isolated life at Sandringham these days, and his absence from Balmoral says more plainly than anything else that King Charles isn’t willing to let family loyalty turn into another headache for the institution. So that’s where things sit: the reliable royals are locked in, Andrew’s firmly on the outside, and Harry and Meghan have edged closer than they’ve been in years – just not close enough (yet) for the most intimate Royal invite of the summer.
