Prince William Spent Some Private Father/Son Time With King Charles in Scotland

Prince William and King Charles wearing suits and ties standing next to each other — (Image credit: Getty Images)

Prince Harry and King Charles have been at the top of the royal news cycle in recent weeks after the Duke of Sussex reunited with his father during a trip to the U.K. But on Tuesday, September 23, it was Prince William's turn for some private time with The King. According to the Daily Mail, the Prince of Wales has once again made the journey north for a one-on-one father/son retreat with King Charles in Scotland, marking the third year the pair have carved out time for the tradition.

In photos published by the newspaper, Prince William is seen arriving in Aberdeen, Scotland via private jet after spending the day with the Princess of Wales in Southport, England. A royal source told the outlet that Prince William traveled to Balmoral for "an informal few days with his father" and that the Princess of Wales is understood to have stayed home with Prince George, 12, Princess Charlotte, 10, and Prince Louis, 7.

The source added that their "mini break" was "not diarised with senior staff, but set aside to chat as sovereign and heir."

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Their meeting comes after a busy few weeks for the Royal Family. Following Prince Harry's reunion with his dad, the Royal Family said goodbye to the Duchess of Kent at her funeral, and the Prince and Princess of Wales joined King Charles and Queen Camilla to host an official state visit for Donald and Melania Trump.

But just days after the trip—and its lavish state banquet—a new email from Sarah Ferguson to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein was leaked, putting the Duke and Duchess of York under even more scrutiny. It's been reported that Prince William and King Charles differ on how to handle the situation with the Yorks, with the Prince of Wales taking a harder stance than his father.

"William feels even more strongly than The King that Andrew and Fergie are an embarrassment and will be urging his father to act," a source told the Daily Mail earlier this week. No doubt it's a topic the two will discuss during their father/son bonding time at Balmoral.

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Kristin Contino is Marie Claire's Senior Royal and Celebrity editor. She's been covering royalty since 2018—including major moments such as the Platinum Jubilee, Queen Elizabeth II’s death and King Charles III's coronation—and places a particular focus on the British Royal Family's style and what it means.

Prior to working at Marie Claire, she wrote about celebrity and royal fashion at Page Six Style and covered royalty from around the world as chief reporter at Royal Central. Kristin has provided expert commentary for outlets including the BBC, Sky News, US Weekly, the Today Show and many others.

Kristin is also the published author of two novels, “The Legacy of Us” and “A House Full of Windsor.” She's passionate about travel, history, horses, and learning everything she can about her favorite city in the world, London.