A royal show of unity: Smiling Kate attends church service with William, children and rest of family at Balmoral ahead of Harry and Meghan's shock return to Britain.
The Royal Family put on a united front this morning after the shock announcement that Harry and Meghan are coming back to the UK – with the Princess of Wales seen smiling as she was driven to Sunday service at a church near Balmoral.
William and Catherine were among several royals attending the service at the small Crathie Kirk parish church after a family 'summit' at the Scottish retreat.
They were joined by their eldest son Prince George. Also attending were King Charles and Queen Camilla, as well as Princess Anne, her husband Sir Timothy Laurence, and the Duke of Edinburgh, Prince Edward.
It emerged last Wednesday that the Duke and Duchess of Sussex would be moving back after six years in the US as their children prepare to start life at new schools in the UK.
Charles arrived at the royals' Scottish summer retreat of Balmoral on Tuesday, and the Prince and Princess of Wales have since been pictured at the estate, as well as the Princess Royal and her brother the Duke of Edinburgh.
William and Kate have not reacted publicly to the news of Harry and Meghan’s return, with the future king estranged from his younger brother following a barrage of accusations Harry levelled against him, Kate, and Charles and Camilla when he stepped back from royal duties.
It has been reported the Royal Family were holding a 'summit' over the return of the Sussexes, although officials have stressed the gathering was in keeping with a longstanding annual tradition of extended family members staying at Balmoral during the summer.
The Prince and Princess of Wales, along with their children George, Charlotte and Louis, joined Charles and Camilla for the Royal Family's annual summer break at the Aberdeenshire estate.
Zara and Mike Tindall were also spotted at Balmoral, along with Peter Phillips and his new wife Harriet Sperling.
A source close to the Sussexes revealed last week that Harry and Meghan's children, Archie, seven, and Lilibet, five, have been enrolled at British schools and will start classes in September.
It is thought they will live at a private, non-royal residence outside London – with suggestions they could be moving to the Cotswolds.
Since leaving for the US they have been living in Montecito, California, while also owning a holiday home in Portugal.
The King was said to have been taken aback by learning the homecoming plans only last Sunday – having not been told when Harry and Meghan met him on their visit to Britain last month.
Sources said that the terms of the Megxit deal under which the Sussexes are not 'working royals' will be unchanged.
The Sussexes' status will remain the same, with the couple not being offered a 'half in, half out' option when it comes to their roles.
Harry and ex-Suits star Meghan, who were married at St George's Chapel in Windsor in May 2018, were once dubbed part of the 'Fab Four' with the then-Duke and Duchess of Cambridge – now the Prince and Princess of Wales.
But in March 2019, Buckingham Palace announced Harry and Meghan would set up their own household, breaking from the joint operation they had with William and Kate, amid reports of rifts between the two couples.
In January 2020, the Duke and Duchess announced they intended to step back as 'senior' members of the Royal Family, become financially independent and split their time between the UK and North America.
By March that year they had set up a permanent home in California, officially stepped down as senior royals and stopped using their HRH titles.
The fallout worsened after accusations Harry publicly levelled at members of the Royal Family, including his brother, in his memoir Spare and his Netflix documentary.
In his autobiography, released just months after Queen Elizabeth II's death, Harry accused William of physically attacking him and pushing him into a dog bowl in a row over Meghan.
Sources said that the terms of the Megxit deal under which the Sussexes are not 'working royals' will be unchanged.
The Sussexes' status will remain the same, with the couple not being offered a 'half in, half out' option when it comes to their roles.
Harry and ex-Suits star Meghan, who were married at St George's Chapel in Windsor in May 2018, were once dubbed part of the 'Fab Four' with the then-Duke and Duchess of Cambridge – now the Prince and Princess of Wales.
But in March 2019, Buckingham Palace announced Harry and Meghan would set up their own household, breaking from the joint operation they had with William and Kate, amid reports of rifts between the two couples.
In January 2020, the Duke and Duchess announced they intended to step back as 'senior' members of the Royal Family, become financially independent and split their time between the UK and North America.
Tags: Queen, Prince Charles, Camilla, Prince Louis, Prince William and Kate Middleton, Prince Charles, Prince Harry, Meghan, Lilibet
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