King Charles III has arrived at Balmoral Castle to formally begin the royal family’s late summer retreat, just under two weeks after it closed to the public for the season.
The 77-year-old monarch appeared in high spirits as he received the traditional greeting from a pony with a well-known mischievous streak.
He was officially welcomed by the Guard of Honour upon his arrival in Scotland on August 18.
Buckingham Palace released photos on the royal family’s official Instagram account along with a note about his trip.
In photos, the King is seen mingling with the people at the late Queen’s favourite place, where all senior royals , including Prince William and Princess Kate are also expected to join him.
However, Prince Harry and his family are not expected to join the royals even his trip to teh UK is expected in September.
The 77-year-old also carried out an inspection of the Balaklava Company, 5th Battalion, The Royal Regiment of Scotland, at the gates of teh Castle’s gate.
The King made a point to greet Corporal Cruachan and his handler during his inspection of the battalion, and the pony appeared to remain well-behaved.
In 2017, the pony attempted to take a bite of the flowers the Queen was holding during a visit to Stirling Castle.
The following year, Corporal Cruachan relieved himself during the ceremonial welcome to Balmoral, causing Queen Elizabeth to turn and cover her nose with her hand.
Well aware of his mischievous reputation, the Queen once quipped, “Here we are again,” upon seeing the mascot.
2026-08-18 20:56:00
