Archie avoids Balmoral

Sussexes choose not to visit estate

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex will not visit the Queen at Balmoral this summer, as they and baby Archie skip the family’s traditional retreat.

The Sussexes, who have taken a holiday to Ibiza and stayed in the south of France with Sir Elton John, do not plan to go to the Scottish country estate this year, it is understood.

The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge and their three children travelled on a budget airline for a weekend at Balmoral, with the Prince of Wales and Duchess of Cornwall joining the Queen on her Sunday visit to church. Visitors included the Duke of York, the Earl and Countess of Wessex and their two children, as well as the Princess Royal and Sir Timothy Laurence and Peter and Autumn Phillips.

The Sun said sources claimed four-month-old Archie was too young for the visit. Royal watchers had expected to see the Sussexes at Balmoral, after a difficult summer in which they faced criticism for their use of private jets.