Prince Harry, Meghan Markle give Queen Elizabeth royal snub, reject her Balmoral invite

Meghan Markle and Prince Harry will not be joining Queen Elizabeth II on her summer holidays. The Duchess and the Duke of Sussex reportedly disappointed the queen by rejecting her invitation to spend the summer with her at Balmoral.

Queen Elizabeth is currently on her annual summer break in her Scottish estate. She spends two to three summer months in Balmoral castle every year, and always asks the royals to join her for a family vacation. However, this year, the Sussex royals decided to decline the invitation.

As per reports, they have excused themselves from the vacation because they think that their son Archie Harrison is still too young to take a trip to Scotland. The source revealed that this may have come as a disappointment as Markle's pregnancy kept the couple from paying a visit to the queen at Balmoral last year, as well.

The 38-year-old has reportedly never been to the Scottish retreat of the British Royal Family, and it was widely expected that this year will mark the Duchess' first visit to the monarch's favourite residence.

'It's a bit odd, as his age didn't stop them taking him to Ibiza for a week and then to see Elton John in France. If they want privacy or protection — which was Harry's excuse for taking private jets — there is no more protected or private holiday destination than the Queen's Scottish home," the source said speaking to The Sun.

The couple was recently criticised for being secretive and overly protective about their privacy as they took four private flights in eleven days. It is understood that Markle may have rejected the invitation because it is all about hunting, shooting, and fishing at Balmoral and with the four-month-old baby she may not be too thrilled about it.

Meanwhile, Prince William and Kate Middleton were spotted with their three kids at Balmoral enjoying their time off.

In another development, the official Sussex's staff office has finally moved out of Kensington Palace. After splitting their households from the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, the Sussexes' staff has relocated their office to Buckingham Palace, Hello reports. This comes after the queen agreed upon the creation of a separate household for Harry and Meghan with the support of the Prince of Wales.