Meghan won’t be building bridges on Balmoral visit
WITH her history of animal activism and semivegan diet, the Duchess of Sussex could be forgiven for putting off a huntin’,
shootin’ and fishin’ visit to Balmoral since marrying into the Royal Family.
But that will all change next week, as I can disclose Prince Harry is to take the American former actress and their baby son, Archie, on their first visit to the Queen’s Scottish retreat.
They will be able to join his grandmother and Prince Philip on bracing walks in the Highlands, salmon fishing in the River Dee and grouse shooting, if Meghan is feeling really adventurous.
‘Her Royal Highness will be made very welcome,’ a source on the Aberdeenshire estate tells me.
Sadly, the visit will not help mend fences with Prince William and Kate, as they and their three children returned from Balmoral this week.
A source insists the visits were not deliberately timed so the two families avoided each other. Relations between the ‘ Fab Four’ have been strained since the Duke and Duchess of Sussex moved away from Kensington Palace to Windsor and split their respective households.
Given the criticism of the Sussexes’ use of private jets, they are likely to follow the example of the Cambridges and travel to Aberdeen airport on a scheduled flight. Some might be surprised that Meghan has not yet visited the Queen’s home north of the border, given that she moved to this country to live with Harry two years ago. Kate Middleton was pictured shooting at Balmoral with her parents before her engagement to William was announced in 2010. She has gone on to become a keen markswoman. It will be fascinating to learn if Meghan, an advocate of animal rights and fan of vegan food, picks up a 12-bore during her holiday. When she visited the Queen’s Norfolk estate, Sandringham, for a very brief stay last Christmas, Meghan is said to have attended the traditional Boxing Day shoot, but did not join the other royals in blasting pheasants, partridges and ducks. The Duke and Duchess’s spokesman declined to comment. Let’s hope Prince Philip has bought in some veggie burgers for his famous barbecues.