The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge are expected to make a return to the north-east this month to help the Queen celebrate becoming the nation’s longest-reigning monarch.
Kate and Prince William have been invited to Balmoral Castle to help mark the landmark occasion on September 9 – the day the Her Majesty overtakes her great-great-grandmother, Queen Victoria, for the length of time she has served her country.
Yesterday, a spokeswoman for Buckingham Palace said she would not confirm nor deny whether the couple would be attending the Queen’s retreat in Aberdeenshire.
But sources claimed the couple were en-route.
“The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge will be with the Queen at Balmoral on September 9,” one claimed.
“They will attend a family dinner that Her Majesty will give that evening.”
It is understood Prince Charles will not be attending the celebration, even though he will be staying in Scotland.
The heir to the throne has decided to honour a long-standing commitment to spend the day at Dumfries House, the stately home he helped “rescue” in Ayrshire, 150 miles away.
There is also expected to be no official celebration of the milestone out of the Queen’s respect for her ancestor Victoria, who died in 1901 aged 81.
Instead, the Palace is focusing its attention on preparations for her 90th birthday in April next year.
Kate’s visit to Balmoral will be the first big social occasion she has attended after missing the wedding of William’s friends, estate agent Bear Maclean and socialite Daisy Dickson, in Devon, last month.
Her planned Scottish trip comes amidst increasing concern about her recent lack of appearance from many high-profile events.
Sources said the Queen had managed to “coax” Kate out of her rural isolated mansion in Norfolk, where she has been spending precious time with her children, Prince George, and new addition, Princess Charlotte.