Royal family attends Sunday service at Crathie Kirk

The King and Queen, along with the Prince and Princess of Wales and their children, attended a Sunday church service at Crathie Kirk near the Balmoral estate, as reported by the Southern Daily Echo and the Evening Standard. Troops from Balaklava Company, 5th Battalion Royal Regiment of Scotland, provided a guard of honour as the family arrived at the granite church in Aberdeenshire, with soldiers lining the driveway as the royal cars passed between them.

Charles and Camilla travelled in the first car, while William drove the second car carrying Kate and their three children. The Princess Royal and her husband Sir Tim Laurence were in another car, and the Duke of Edinburgh and his daughter Lady Louise were in a third vehicle. A crowd of onlookers had gathered outside the church to witness the arrival.

Kate, the Princess of Wales, was seen smiling, wearing a hat, a tweed-type jacket and a high-necked white shirt, according to the Southern Daily Echo. William and Prince George were both dressed in suits and appeared more serious. After about an hour, the royals left the church to cheers from well-wishers, with their cars passing back through the guard of honour towards Balmoral, the Southern Daily Echo reported.

Balmoral summer holiday and royal tradition

The family had arrived at the Balmoral estate earlier in the week for their traditional summer holiday, as reported by the Southern Daily Echo and the Evening Standard. Crathie Kirk, a small Church of Scotland parish kirk, is the family's regular place of worship when they are at Balmoral, and Queen Elizabeth II regularly attended services there, according to multiple reports.

Among the onlookers, Jayne Williams, from Pencoed in South Wales, told the Evening Standard it was "just a fluke" she happened to be visiting the area on the day of the service. She said she saw the King and Charlotte waving as the cars went past, describing it as "incredible." Fiona Wallace, 59, who travelled from Inverurie, described the experience as "overwhelming," as quoted by Us Weekly.

Context of Prince Harry's planned return

The service came days after news emerged of the Duke of Sussex's imminent return to the UK, as noted by the Southern Daily Echo and the Evening Standard. The Evening Standard reported that Harry is understood to have "privately pleaded" with Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood over security funding, citing the Daily Mail, and that senior royals have reportedly held a "Sussex Summit" at Balmoral following the news. It also reported that round-the-clock armed police protection for the Sussexes could exceed £5 million.

Us Weekly reported that Harry and Meghan stepped down as senior working royals in 2020, a move that sparked a rift with Harry's father and brother. The couple have not publicly addressed their relocation, nor have Harry's relatives, according to Us Weekly. Royal experts quoted by Us Weekly offered speculation on how William and Kate might be reacting. Christopher Andersen said, "All I can think of is, 'Here we go again.' For starters, I can only imagine that William and Kate are tearing their hair out," adding that the Sussexes returning to the UK would "inevitably suck up all the oxygen in the room." Grant Harrold, another royal expert, told Us Weekly that the moves likely wouldn't "completely heal things" and that the family might "play happy families."

The Evening Standard noted that William and Kate have not reacted publicly to the news, and that some reports suggested possible private conversations or a family "summit." Harry's relationship with King Charles has improved amid the King's undisclosed cancer diagnosis, with the family visiting Charles in the UK in July, according to Us Weekly.