King Charles Won’t Retreat to Balmoral for the Summer — Until He Delivers An Important Message
King Charles is already enjoying a gala time in Scotland and will soon retreat to Balmoral Castle for his annual summer break. On August 12, the monarch appeared in Ballater for official business, just a few miles from the Castle. While he may be eagerly anticipating his holiday, Charles cannot begin his much-needed break without delivering an important message. On the morning of August 15, the King is set to share an audio address with the nation, marking the poignant 80th anniversary of VJ (Victory over Japan) Day.
As reported by PEOPLE, Buckingham Palace announced last week that Charles will speak to the nation to mark the surrender of Japan to the Allied Forces in 1945, the end of World War II. The U.K. and U.S. observe VJ Day on different dates — August 15 in the U.K. and September 2 in the U.S. On VJ Day, Charles and Queen Camilla will attend a Service of Remembrance at the National Memorial Arboretum in England, hosted by the Royal British Legion and the government, before meeting WWII veterans. Meanwhile, Duchess Sophie and Prince Edward are set to join a service at the Scottish National War Memorial at Edinburgh Castle. Ahead of VJ Day, on August 12, Duchess Sophie also visited 105-year-old Royal Marines veteran James 'Jim' Wren at his care home in Salisbury, Wiltshire.
According to Cambridge News, the national commemoration will include a two-minute silence, followed by an aerial display by the Red Arrows, and end with a flypast by the Battle of Britain Memorial Flight. After the service, the King and Queen will attend a reception with World War II veterans. Meanwhile, the Duke and Duchess of Gloucester will be at Norwich Cathedral for the Far East Prisoners of War VJ Day 80th Anniversary Service, before joining an event in Suffolk honoring the children and families of those prisoners.
After Buckingham Palace shared the schedule for VJ Day on August 7, royal watchers noted that Prince William and Kate Middleton were missing from the calendar. Also missing from the list was Princess Anne, whose birthday falls on the same day as the historic occasion. As per Marie Claire, the Prince and Princess of Wales will not attend the festivities as they are spending the summer in Scotland with their three children. Meanwhile, the Princess Royal is reportedly embarking on a ten-day sailing trip with her husband, Sir Timothy Lawrence, to celebrate her birthday, which explains her absence from the itinerary.
Coming back to Charles’s annual summer break, Town & Country magazine reports that the royal family traditionally spends a week-long holiday at Balmoral Castle in Aberdeenshire. This year, however, the King has slightly deviated from tradition, beginning his vacation at the Castle of Mey on Scotland’s northern coast before heading to Balmoral. The custom of summering at Balmoral was reportedly started by the late Queen Elizabeth, who regarded it as one of her favorite residences.