Prince Charles and his wife, Camilla, the Duchess of Cornwall, have reportedly dropped plans to spend their Christmas holiday in Balmoral because they were made to feel unwelcome by Nicola Sturgeon, the First Minister.
Insiders revealed that the Prince of Wales decided not to proceed with traveling to the Highlands because he doesn't want any trouble with Sturgeon. The royal pair wants to make it known that they understand the challenges of traveling in this time of COVID-19 but they are hopeful of returning to their other home as soon as possible.
Just last week, Sturgeon heavily criticized Prince Charles' son, Prince William, the Duke of Cambridge, who went on a Royal Train Tour with Kate Middleton, the Duchess of Cambridge. The First Minister apparently sent word for the Cambridge couple not to proceed to Scotland because of their lockdown rules.
However, sources from Kensington Palace said William and Kate still visited Edinburgh since this is part of their work. They also coordinated the trip with the government of Scotland despite Sturgeon's comments.
According to Daily Mail, Charles and Camilla have celebrated New Year's Eve at their home in Birkhall in the Balmoral Estate since 2005. But since Queen Elizabeth canceled the royal family's traditional Christmas celebrations, the royal couple, who are known as the Duke and Duchess of Rothesay in Scotland, had plans to go to Birkhall earlier.
Instead of their Scotland visit, Charles and Camilla are understood to be spending the holidays in Highgrove, the heir to the throne's farming estate in Gloucestershire. Camilla will also spend some time at Ray Mill House in Wiltshire, the Shand family estate, with her children from her first marriage and the grandkids.
This was not the first time Charles apparently felt unwelcome in Scotland this year. Following his COVID-19 diagnosis in late March, the Prince of Wales received criticisms from local politicians because he decided to stay put in Birkhall.
Sources, however, insisted that Charles wasn't aware he was COVID-19 positive when he traveled to the Highlands to isolate during the first nationwide lockdown. The Prince of Wales suffered mild symptoms only and recovered after a week in isolation
Meanwhile, Charles and Camilla capped off a busy week of royal work before the holiday break. The couple visited a few establishments in London to check on how clubs and nighttime entertainment are coping with the temporary business closures. The Prince of Wales also personally visited The Ritz in London to check on the hospitality industry workers and thank them for work amid a crisis.
