Queen Camilla's rarely-seen grandchildren's secret summer plans with King Charles' royal family
Earlier this week, Queen Camilla took a rare break from her royal role to assume grandmother duties.
The wife of King Charles was seen enjoying lunch in the quaint village of Ballater in Aberdeenshire, Scotland, which is just a 15-minute drive from Balmoral Castle where the royal family have retired to enjoy the last of summer.
Cutting a casual figure, the Queen went undercover for her wholesome outing with her non-royal family, wearing suede shoes, skinny jeans and a modish puffer jacket from highstreet brand UNIQLO.
She was joined by her son Tom Parker Bowles and daughter Laura Lopes, whom she shares with her first husband Andrew Parker Bowles. The royal was also seen with a number of her grandchildren, who fondly call her 'Gaga'.
It's not known whether King Charles extended the invitation to his wife's grandchildren to join the royals at Balmoral this summer.
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Given the Queen's extremely close relationship with her non-royal side of the family and the fact they were seen so close to the private royal residence, it seems likely the Parker Bowles and Lopes families could have secured a golden ticket to spend the summer in the Scottish Highlands.
Queen Camilla's grandchildren are no stranger to the royal spotlight, either. Her youngest grandchild Freddy Lopes, 13, had a starring role at the coronation and was a page of honour alongside his cousins and Prince George.
Eliza Lopes, 16, was given the honour of being a bridesmaid at Prince William and Princess Kate's wedding in 2011. She was seen being picked up by her step-grandfather, then-Prince Charles, on the balcony of Buckingham Palace to see the huge crowds.
Historically, Balmoral has been a place for the royal family to switch off from royal life and was where the late Queen Elizabeth II was said to be her happiest. The deeply guarded royal retreat is said to be the only place where Her Late Majesty felt truly herself - and because of that, it's rare for the royals to extend the invite to anyone other than family - with the exception of the Prime Minister and their spouse.
Princess Eugenie previously explained on the ITV documentary, "Our Queen at Ninety", how much Balmoral meant to her late grandmother."It's the most beautiful place on earth. I think Granny is the most happy there. I think she really, really loves the Highlands."
She added: "Walks, picnics, dogs – a lot of dogs, there's always dogs – and people coming in and out all the time.
"It's a lovely base for Granny and Grandpa, for us to come and see them up there; where you just have room to breathe and run."
