Meghan Markle snubbed Queen's invitation to attend tennis

Meghan Markle reportedly snubbed an invitation to stay with the Queen and instead jetted to New York for the US Open final.

The duchess was at the grand slam to see friend Serena Williams play, but in doing so missed out on the Highland Games near the royals’ Scottish residence, Balmoral Castle.

And instead of spending a very British weekend with the monarch, Prince Charles and Camilla, Meghan instead returned to her American roots.

The transatlantic trip is thought to have been a last minute decision, but the Queen is said to be “hurt and disappointed” by the duchess’ very notable absence, according to the Mail On Sunday.

The royals’ favourite holiday

Stays at Balmoral are among the year’s best opportunities to spend time with Her Majesty and have been a mainstay in the royals’ calendar for hundreds of years.

However, the Mail on Sunday reported Meghan and Harry claimed they were ‘too busy’ to make the trip north of the Scottish border.

Meghan’s New York minute

After controversy erupted following the family’s use of four private jets in just 11 days, Meghan is believed to have taken a commercial flight from London to New York.

At the match, which Serena ultimately lost, Meghan joined star’s husband, Reddit founder Alexis Ohanian, and Vogue’s Anna Wintour in the player’s box.

She was also notably without an entourage and sat among other attendees, a contrast to a highly publicised trip to Wimbledon last month.

On the other side of the Atlantic, the royals watched a different kind of sport, and witnessed Highland locals partake in the likes of hammer throwing and tug of war.

Meghan’s trip comes as the duchess prepares to return to work after giving birth to son Archie earlier this year.

On September 12, she will launch her first collection of clothing to support the charity Smart Works, which helps dress and prepare women as they enter the workforce.

At the end of the month, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex will leave for a royal tour of South Africa with their son, following which Prince Harry will travel to Angola, Botswana and Malawi alone.

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