Royal insider

Behind Palace gates with Juliet kieden

- Juliet kieden

As The Weekly goes to press, The House of Windsor is heading off on its first summer break since the death of the late Queen. King Charles and Camilla will follow tradition, holidaying in Scotland, with various members of the family expected to join the couple for informal get-togethers at Balmoral Castle in the second half of August.

But the King will first visit the Castle of Mey in Caithness, on the northern tip of Scotland. The 16th Century castle was purchased by his grandmother, the late Queen Mother, in 1952 after the death of her husband, King George VI. She spotted it while staying with friends and was immediately smitten. It was in pretty poor condition but became a welcome renovation project for Her Majesty, who loved this part of the country and whose childhood home was Scotland's Glamis Castle.

The Queen Mother would visit the castle every August and October without fail, and in 1996 created The Queen Elizabeth of Mey Trust which still runs the castle, overseen by King Charles. It's open to the public for some of the year, but for 10 days in the summer the property closes when Charles and Camilla usually come to stay for some quiet downtime.

The King is also due to attend the Highland Games this year before he and the Queen go to Balmoral. Charles inherited the Castle when his mother died but will reportedly base himself in Birkhall, his home on the estate, using the Castle to host family and dignitaries.