King hosts Prime Minister and his wife at Balmoral for the weekend
UK prime ministers are traditionally invited to stay with the head of state at Balmoral during the summer.
The King is hosting Sir Keir Starmer at Balmoral for his first official weekend at the royal retreat as Prime Minister.
Sir Keir and his wife Lady Victoria Starmer are following convention and spending a few days at the Scottish home of Charles and Camilla.
Last summer, former prime minister Rishi Sunak and his wife spent the weekend at the monarch’s Aberdeenshire home and went to church with the royal couple.
But things were very different with Margaret Thatcher, who reportedly found the traditional September weekend at Balmoral painful.
One observer wrote: “A weekend in the country with aristocrats who enjoy riding, shooting, sports and games is Thatcher’s idea of torture.”
Mrs Thatcher could not abide the charades that she was expected to play after dinner at Balmoral.
When Parliament is sitting, the King and Prime Minister meet for a weekly audience and the two men sat down for a meeting at Balmoral.
The discussions are likely to have taken place in the castle’s library, which was once Queen Victoria and Prince Albert’s breakfast and lunch room and today is used by the King as his working study where he welcomes dignitaries.
