Meghan Markle’s Visit To Balmoral In Scotland Is A Sort Of ‘Initiation’ Into The Royal Family

Meghan Markle is going through some difficult times with her father Thomas Markle and half-sister Samantha Markle, but by all indications she has been warmly welcomed into the royal family. Photos of the new duchess and Kate Middleton at Wimbledon and other public events portray no sign of tension between the sisters-in-law, and rumors indicate they have become quite close. She has attended several royal family events since her November engagement to Prince Harry, and all reportedly went smoothly. Of course, Queen Elizabeth is probably the most important person for Harry’s new bride to impress, and she seems to have done that as well with the two being photographed together multiple times, every one of them showing the two smiling, laughing, and seeming to enjoy each other’s company. Express reports, however, that there is one more experience Meghan Markle has not yet had, one that is considered by the queen to be a sort of ‘initiation’ into the royal family – a visit to the royal estate, Balmoral, in Scotland.

As previously reported by Inquisitr, Meghan and Harry are expected to take a break from public appearances in September, and it’s during this time that Markle’s important visit is expected to take place. Royal expert Richard Fitzwilliams described the significance of the duchess’s visit to Balmoral by saying, “An invitation to Balmoral, where the Queen is expected to remain until September, is traditionally part of the initiation into the Royal family.”

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Balmoral is said to be where Queen Elizabeth is happiest and a visit there is seen as a “test” of sorts for spouses. The first non-royal person to be tested was Princess Diana who reportedly “passed” the test initially, but Fitzwilliams says she eventually came to not really enjoy visits to the Scottish home, finding herself “unhappy and bored there.” He believes that Markle’s experience will likely be better than Diana’s, however, because they seem to have a much better relationship than Diana and the queen did. He had nothing but praise for what he has seen of their growing friendship and noted that Balmoral won’t be completely new to Markle.

“Meghan’s relations with the Queen are excellent especially after the success of their joint visit to Cheshire in June and the omens are extremely propitious for a highly successful visit. Harry, after all reportedly introduced Meghan to the Queen at Balmoral last September.”

Adding to the significance of Markle’s visit is the special connection Harry has to Balmoral as it’s where he and William spent some time immediately following the death of their mother. It was featured in some photos of Prince Charles and the boys viewing flowers and gifts left by Diana’s admirers.