Sunday best! Royals including Prince Charles, Prince Edward and Lady Louise head to traditional church service during family break at Balmoral with the Queen
- The heir to the throne, 73, drove himself to the church service at Crathie Kirk, close to Balmoral, on Sunday morning – with other royals travelling behind
- Travelling in a separate car was Prince Edward, 58, and Lady Louise Windsor, 18, who was driven by Princess Anne’s husband, Sir Tim Laurence, 67
- Queen is currently enjoying her annual summer break at Balmoral with Prince Charles said to be making daily visits to his mother to check on her health
- The next Prime Minister will likely travel to Balmoral to be sworn in by The Queen
Members of the royal family – including Prince Charles and Lady Louise Windsor – attended a traditional Sunday church service in the Aberdeenshire village close to the Balmoral estate this morning.
The heir to the throne, 73, was spotted driving himself to the church service at Crathie Kirk, with his youngest brother Prince Edward, 58, and daughter Lady Louise Windsor, 18, enjoying a lift with Princess Anne’s husband, Sir Tim Laurence.
The Queen is not thought to have attended the service.
Lady Louise, wearing a cerise floral dress, looked to be enjoying a break from her summer job at a garden centre near Windsor, where she’s been earning £6.83-an-hour helping out on the tills, greeting customers, pruning and potting plants.
Charles, travelling without the Duchess of Cornwall, seemed in good spirits as he made the short journey by car to the nearby village church.
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Prince Charles, 73, drove himself to the church service at Crathie Kirk, near Balmoral, on Sunday morning; the heir to the throne has been a regular visitor to Balmoral while the Queen, 96, enjoys her annual summer stay there, despite ongoing mobility problems
Lady Louise, 18, dressed in a pretty cerise floral dress, smiled from the back seat as she joined her father and Sir Tim Laurence en route to church
Travelling in a separate car was Prince Edward, who was driven by Princess Anne’s husband, Sir Tim Laurence, in a royal Range Rover
It’s customary that the royals attend the service when in residence north of the border.
Crathie Kirk lies next door to Balmoral Castle, just on the edge of the royal estate, and the Queen has, over the decades, been a regular presence at services during her annual holiday to Scotland.
Charles and Camilla also have a home, Birkhall, on the Balmoral estate and have been spending time with the monarch over the past few weeks.
The prince has been a regular visitor to Balmoral while the Queen, 96, enjoys her annual summer stay at the Scottish estate, despite her ongoing mobility problems.
Last week, it was revealed that The Queen has been receiving ‘unusual’ daily morning visits from the Prince of Wales at Balmoral, as reports of her poor health continue.
Royal experts say unplanned visits between Prince Charles and his mother are uncustomary, and they are usually arranged by household staff.
Her Majesty is not expected to travel to London to appoint a new Prime Minister next month, with the likelihood that Boris Johnson and his successor will instead make the 1,000 mile trip to the Scottish estate, The Sun reports.
The Queen’s advisors are reportedly worried about her comfort during the next PM’s 48-hour visit, after more than a year of mobility troubles.
Traditionally, the Queen receives a public welcoming party on her arrival to Balmoral but this has been moved behind doors.
The prince, without the Duchess of Cornwall, seemed in good spirits as he made the short journey by car to the nearby village church
Prince Edward joined Sir Tim Laurence for the Sunday morning service, which the royals attend when in residence north of the border
The Queen (pictured) has been receiving ‘unusual’ daily morning visits from the Prince of Wales, as reports of her mobility problems continue
The Queen has also been absent from her regular Sunday church services, although it is understood she intends to watch the annual Braemar games next weekend.
Prince Andrew, 62, is also at Balmoral and is believed to having conversations with his mother about his future.
Ingrid Seward, of Majesty Magazine, said: ‘It’s highly unusual for Prince Charles to make these kinds of impromptu visits to see his mother.
‘Everyone thinks they normally see each other all the time, but they don’t.
‘They often blame it on the geography because everyone is scattered all around the country.’
The Queen is not expected to travel to London to appoint a new Prime Minister next month, with the likelihood that Boris Johnson’s successor will instead make the 1,000 mile trip to Balmoral (pictured)
The Queen was last seen in public disembarking from a plane at Aberdeen Airport on July 21.
Buckingham Palace has not commented on reports that The Queen will receive her current and next Prime Minister for the ‘kissing of the hands ceremony’ at Balmoral on September 6.
An decision regarding the arrangements is expected to be announced in the middle of next week.
Boris Johnson and both candidates for next Tory leader have indicated they will be happy to make the journey.
It would be the first occasion in her 70-year reign in which the Queen has received an outgoing or newly appointed Prime Minister away from Buckingham Palace.
But previous monarchs have been known to do so.
The Queen is expected to appoint the next PM at Balmoral instead of Buckingham Palace
Queen Victoria regularly asked her Prime Ministers to visit her at Balmoral and in 1908, Kind Edward VII requested Herbert Asquith travel to Biarritz, southwest France, for his appointment.
A source told the Sun: ‘The Queen has now been advised not to travel.
‘But obviously no one tells the Queen what to do and ultimately it is her decision, and as we saw when she made a third appearance on the Buckingham Palace balcony at the Jubilee she likes surprises.
‘There are some parts of her role that Prince Charles can do on her behalf but the Queen is adamant that she appoints the Prime Minister.
‘It may not be the best choice to make the Queen travel 1,000 miles there and back for a 48-hour visit when the Prime Ministers can easily get to Balmoral instead.’
The last Prime Minister to kiss hands with the monarch away from Buckingham Palace was Winston Churchill who, in 1952, kissed hands with the newly appointed Queen at Heathrow Airport when she returned from Africa following the death of her father King George VI.
Liz Truss is battling it out with rival Rishi Sunak to take over from Johnson as Prime Minister
The Queen does not usually return from her Balmoral break until early October but sources had said she told aides she will make an exception this year and travel to London.
The appointment of Prime Minister is one of the few personal prerogatives of the Queen and, sources said, a duty she intended to fulfil in person.
It is the latest change to plans due to health concerns for Her Majesty as she continues to deal with mobility issues.
Earlier this month, it was confirmed the Queen had ‘cancelled her traditional welcome to Balmoral’ and instead hosted a small private event.
Sources indicated the alteration was ‘a sign of things to come’ amid Her Majesty’s episodic mobility problems.
On September 6, either Rishi Sunak or Liz Truss is expected to travel to Balmoral as the new PM
But Buckingham Palace played down concerns over her health, instead saying the private event was ‘in line with adapting Her Majesty’s schedule for her comfort’.
Balmoral is understood to be a favourite stay for Her Majesty, who welcomes her family to the castle throughout the summer months.
She has been staying at Craigowan Lodge since departing Windsor Castle for Scotland on July 21.
It comes after a lorry with furniture was pictured outside Balmoral on Saturday after bringing furniture from Windsor.
Balmoral has had a number of adaptations in recent years, including Craigowan Lodge being fitted with a wheelchair-friendly lift last year.
A new security gate, a state-of-the-art intercom system and a string of new CCTV cameras were also installed.
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