August Doldrums in the Royal World

What are the royals up to in August?

The Queen walking with her corgis at Balmoral in 2013

It is well and truly August and we are certainly in the doldrums of royal watching. Most of you know that historically the British Royals disappear in the month of August. In August, the Queen is enjoying her summer holiday in Scotland and many of her family like to join her at one point or another, in addition to holidaying at their own various country homes. But the August break also gives the many royal reporters and photographers a break, too. They can plan their family holidays relatively sure they will be able to enjoy them without missing very large royal news items.

The Queen headed to Balmoral toward the end of last month. The castle itself was open to the public until the 2nd of August, so the Queen likely stayed at another home on the estate during that period, but by now she should be settled in comfortably.

William and Kate used to enjoy their time at Balmoral in September, but for some years now have traveled to visit the Queen in late August. I assume this shift is to accommodate the children’s school schedules. Sometimes a few candid shots of the royals at Balmoral do surface, so we might see some toward the end of the month or in early September. Fingers crossed.

William and Kate pictured at Balmoral in 2019

Although there is no reason they could not take another vacation before decamping for Scotland, I suspect the Cambridges are enjoying some down time at home in these closing weeks of summer weather. After the family took a long holiday to Tresco and an earlier rumored getaway for William and Kate to celebrate the former’s 40th birthday, I would think they want some time enjoying their own properties. In addition to enjoying Anmer Hall, William and Kate are likely moving house to Windsor (reputedly Adelaide Cottage) in the next few weeks, if they have not done so already. I am sure Kate wants to have the new home all settled and ready to start the school year smoothly.

I have received a number of questions about what this move means for Kensington Palace, and the answer is that Kensington Palace will remain one of the Cambridges’ homes, although moving forward it will be used more as an official residence while they raise their children in Berkshire and continue to enjoy vacations and weekends at Anmer Hall. At the end of the day, Kensington Palace simply does not have the required privacy and freedom of movement for growing children.

Pippa Middleton Matthews—who just had her third child, a baby girl named Rose—and her husband have sold their palatial five-story apartment in London for a reported £22 million. Richard Eden reports the couple have purchased a 30-room Georgian mansion in Berkshire near the Middletons’ Bucklebury house. I assume that Kate is doing her best to also help Pippa in this transition time.

So a very busy August for the Cambridges indeed, even if we aren’t seeing as much of them as we would like.

Old timers around here will have heard this recommendation before, but I love watching The Queen (with Helen Mirren) around this time of year. In addition to the plot, which is a dramatization of the Queen’s crisis around the death of Diana on August 31, 1997, it portrays one version of life at Balmoral during the royals’ summer holiday. I think the real Balmoral is a bit more cluttered than the gracious and perfect surroundings portrayed in the film. Since I have yet to be invited up for the summer break, I can’t say how accurate the portrayal is, but I really enjoy the depiction.

This year, the Queen’s summer holiday at Balmoral will be interrupted in early September, as it was in 1997, albeit for less horrifying reasons. Her Majesty will return to London for an outgoing audience with Boris Johnson and a second audience with the new Prime Minister.

Until the next bit of royal news surfaces…

JCB