The Queen was joined by her sister, daughter and grandchildren as she kicked off the royals’ annual late-summer holiday in the Highlands

NEED TO KNOW

• Queen Camilla and King Charles are in Scotland for their annual late-summer holiday at Balmoral Castle
• The day before the King attended the official opening and surveyed the troops of the Royal Regiment of Scotland, the Queen went shopping in a nearby village
• She was joined by her sister, Annabel Elliot, her daughter Laura Lopes and granddaughter Eliza

Queen Camilla and King Charles are in Scotland for their annual late summer holiday at Balmoral Castle, calling for a shopping trip in a nearby village.

The day before the castle’s official welcome to the royal family, when the King met with locals and inspected the troops of the Royal Regiment of Scotland, the Queen, 79, ventured to Ballater, a small town about eight miles from the castle. She was joined by her sister, Annabel Elliot, her daughter Laura Lopes, 48, and granddaughter Eliza, 18.

The Queen’s twin grandsons, Gus and Harry Lopes, 16, were also along for the outing, but the teens quickly retreated to the car, according to the Daily Mail.

Dressed casually in jeans, slacks, sweaters and coats, the group was seen checking out a bookstore and a specialty retailer that sells Scottish cashmere. They were all smiles as they carried their bags through town, popping in and out of various shops

Balmoral has been a summer respite for the British royal family since the reign of Queen Victoria, when her husband, Prince Albert, purchased the castle and the surrounding 7,000 acres in 1845.

The property, which sits on the River Dee in Aberdeenshire, was especially beloved by late Queen Elizabeth, who was known to leave for Scotland in late July and not return to London until October, with other members of the family joining her for periods of her stay.

King Charles has continued his mother’s tradition of spending some of the late summer at Balmoral since his accession in 2022. Prince William and Kate Middleton, both 44, usually visit with their three children — Prince George, 13, Princess Charlotte, 11, and Prince Louis, 8 — as well as other royals.

The 50,000-acre estate in Aberdeenshire is one of two estates that the British monarch owns privately. The other is Sandringham, in Norfolk, England, where the royal family traditionally gathers for Christmas.

It’s sure to be a welcome getaway for Queen Camilla, who has had a busy summer, from Trooping the Colour and the Royal Ascot to Wimbledon and the Commonwealth Games. She was also by the King’s side for his long-anticipated reunion with Prince Harry and Meghan Markle and their children, Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet, with royal author Catherine Mayer telling PEOPLE that her presence was a “non-negotiable.”

“There is no reconciliation with him without her,” Mayer said.

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While the trip to Scotland may serve as the royals’ late summer holiday, that doesn’t mean they have no official duties while away in the Highlands.

On Wednesday, Aug. 19, the Queen will attend the Ebor Festival at the York Racecourse. She became patron of the racecourse in 2024, taking over for the former Prince Andrew.

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