King holds rare ‘family dinner’ with senior royals amid drama over Prince Harry’s imminent visit to Britain
The King held a rare family dinner with senior royals in Scotland last night.
It’s not hard to guess what may have been on the menu for discussion ahead of Prince Harry‘s already controversial trip to Britain this weekend.
His Majesty is currently in Edinburgh for what is known as Royal Week, his annual visit to celebrate Scottish culture, community and achievements, and undertook a series of engagements in the capital, along with his wife, Queen Camilla, yesterday.
Now it can be revealed that the couple last night hosted three more of the Royal Family‘s most senior members to stay at the historic Palace of Holyroodhouse, the monarch’s official residence north of the border: the Prince of Wales, the Princess Royal, and the Duke of Edinburgh.
The family enjoyed what is known in royal circles as a rare ‘dine and sleep’, having dinner at the palace and staying over ahead of this morning’s Order of the Thistle service, the annual celebration of the ancient Scottish order of chivalry which the King, Queen, Prince William and Prince Edward will attend.
Prince William – known as the Duke of Rothesay when in Scotland – was in Aberdeen during the afternoon to undertake an engagement on behalf of his Homewards initiative to combat homelessness and then travelled over to Edinburgh to spend the night with his father and family.
Princess Anne and Prince Edward had joined their brother earlier at a garden party for local dignitaries and community stalwarts at the Gothic palace, which has served as the principle royal residence in Scotland since the 16th century and is steeped in centuries of royal and political intrigue.
Private gatherings are not recorded on the Court Circular, the official record of royal engagements, but the Daily Mail has had confirmation that a dinner took place.
Buckingham Palace has declined to comment and any discussions would remain within the four walls of the dining room.
The King and Queen arrive for the Thistle Service at St Giles’ Cathedral in Edinburgh today
Queen Camilla arrives for the service, part of the annual Royal Week in Scotland, after last night’s dinner
Princes William and Edward at St Giles’ today after they also attended the dinner, with William having been in Aberdeen earlier in the day on an engagement involving his homelessness initiative
But with the drama surrounding Prince Harry’s potential arrival in the UK this weekend – with or without his family – dominating royal news, and the ongoing issue of disgraced Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, there would have been plenty for the family to discuss.
As of yesterday, it is understood that Buckingham Palace still had no acceptance of its offer to house the Duke of Sussex at Buckingham Palace, or another royal residence, for the duration of his trip to the UK, which is set to last for up to two weeks.
But the fallout from the trip even before it has begun has already had immense reverberations, with royal insiders weary of the endless drama surrounding the Sussexes.
Harry’s team has already announced a full itinerary for the prince’s trip to selected media, which includes a number of public engagements, and confirmed his intention to bring his wife Meghan and children, Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet, with him for the first time in four years.
He has also very publicly made clear his desire to introduce his children to their grandfather. Lilibet has only met him once as a baby, and Archie a handful of times as a very small child.
The King and Queen last night hosted senior members of the Royal Family to stay at the historic Palace of Holyroodhouse (pictured), the monarch’s official residence in Scotland
His team are also believed to have confirmed plans to take his children to visit the grave of his late mother, Diana, Princess of Wales, at Althorp, the Spencer family estate.
Conversely, Buckingham Palace has refused to discuss the state of family relations, making clear that if any such reunion or meeting were to occur, then it would need to take place privately.
It is understood that they have always made the offer of accommodation available to the prince, despite his repeated public attacks on the institution, as well as family members, but Harry has stayed in hotels or with friends.
Last weekend, however, Harry’s team issued a series of announcements to media saying the trip was in jeopardy as Harry had just learnt that Ravec, the Home Office committee that regulates royal and diplomatic policing, had not considered his request to give him round the clock security when in the UK.
Having lost an expensive court action against the Home Office last year for its decision to strip him of his police protection when he quit royal duties and moved to North America, Harry had asked the Home Secretary and the committee to reconsider his risk assessment, saying it was ‘unsafe’ for him to bring his family here.
This provoked puzzlement in royal circles given that there has apparently been no change in his situation, meaning he had officially announced his visit seemingly knowing he would get no greater security provision than normal or necessary.
