Prince William has been spending his summers at Balmoral since he was a young child, and he has many happy memories in the Scottish royal property.
Equally, though, it is where he was when he learned of his mother Princess Diana's death, and it is the place where Elizabeth II drew her last breath last September—so it is filled with difficult emotions and history as well.
This year marks the first that King Charles and Queen Camilla will be hosting the family at Balmoral, and Prince William and Princess Kate are expected to be among the guests, which will certainly be a strange experience for the Wales family.
"William has happy and sad moments related to Balmoral. But that’s about his life’s experience, not the place," royal author Robert Jobson told OK!.
"The place has always been special to him. Even in his darkest moments, such as when he learned of his mother’s death, Balmoral afforded him the opportunity to grieve privately, to go off on walks with his grandfather to try to come to terms with what had happened."
Additionally, Balmoral's remoteness is a huge bonus for the Waleses and their children George, Charlotte and Louis.
"This is a place where youngsters can play outside so freely. That matters to William and Kate because they know their children can be free, away from the media," Jobson added.
For the expert, the King and Queen will be mindful of making Balmoral an extra welcoming place for their family this year.
"Charles and Camilla will want to make it as much fun for all the youngsters as it has been in the past," he said. "There’ll be a bit less 'standing on ceremony' this year too—things will be more relaxed and informal."
Wishing them all a happy summer, then!
