Senior royals gather for first summer holiday break at Balmoral since Queen’s death: Charles and Camilla are joined by Prince William, Kate, Andrew, Edward, Sophie and the Queen’s lady-in-waiting Lady Susan Hussey as they attend church

The Royal Family gathered at Balmoral Church today as they enjoy the first summer holiday at the Royal Estate since the Queen spent her last days there before her death a year ago.

As the anniversary of Queen Elizabeth II’s death approaches, all working royals have been seen attending the church near the estate where she died on September 8 last year.

King Charles and Queen Camilla were joined by his son Prince William and daughter-in-law Princess Catherine for their traditional Sunday morning service.

The Prince and Princess of Wales were accompanied by the disgraced Prince Andrew, while the Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh accompanied the Princess Royal and Vice Admiral Sir Tim Laurence.

Lady Susan Hussey, who was the late Queen’s lady-in-waiting and one of her closest confidantes, was also pictured making her way to the church at Crathie Kirk.

It is the first time that so many members of the royal family have gathered on the Scottish estate since the death of Queen Elizabeth on September 8 last year.

A sudden decline in her health at the age of 96 sparked a rush from royals to see her at Aberdeenshire castle last year, but many were unable to come before her death.

Buckingham Palace had said King Charles intended to spend the anniversary of his death quietly reflecting on Balmoral while welcoming visits from family and friends.

While King and Queen Camilla are known to prefer staying at Birkhall, their private residence in the Aberdeenshire estate, Charles resisted his traditional preferences to honor his late mother.

He will stay at the Scottish residence for three weeks, which means he will be there next month for the anniversary of his mother’s death.

Yesterday the King, accompanied by Queen Camilla, took part in a traditional ceremony to present a new color to the Royal Guard.

The ceremony saw the use of a new colour, called Ballater Colour, which is to be used by the Royal Guard as it marks a new monarch.

It is used by the soldiers who guard Balmoral Castle while the King resides there during the summer months.

Last year, the military ceremony was held behind closed doors to maximize comfort for the Queen, whose health was precarious.

It has been reported that most of the royals were expected to visit him at some point during the king’s stay at Balmoral.

The Prince and Princess of Wales, along with their three children George, Charlotte and Louis, were expected, as were Princess Anne and her husband, Vice Admiral Sir Tim Laurence.

The Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh and their two children were also expected.

Questions remain, however, about whether Prince Andrew, who stayed at the castle every year with his ex-wife Sarah and their two daughters in early August, would be there.

The king put an end to their visit by extending the opening hours to the public by two weeks.

But that appears to have been settled amicably after Charles ‘extended an olive branch’ to his younger brother by inviting him and his ex-wife to the summer reunion.

Andrew, 63, drove to the 50,000 acre Royal Deeside estate before being accompanied later by Sarah, who flew to Aberdeen. The couple are staying at the seven-bedroom Craigowan Lodge on the estate, preferred by the late Queen.

A royal insider insisted it was ‘no snub’ that the couple were staying at the lodge instead of the main house, telling the Express: ‘The King and Andrew are now in much better condition and make him the first member of the family to join him is an olive branch.