King and Camilla joined by Anne at first Highland Games since Queen's death

02 September 2023 , 15:42

1121     0

King Charles and Camilla have attended the Highland Games (Image: Ian Vogler / Daily Mirror)

King Charles and Camilla have been seen at the Highland Games for the first time since the Queen's death.

They were joined by Princess Anne and looked delighted on Saturday as they spectated on the traditional sports and festivities at the annual event, which is held near Balmoral Castle, Aberdeenshire. The King was seen in a custom royal tartan, with the Queen Consort also wearing a dress that appeared inspired by the pattern. Anne's husband Vice Admiral Sir Tim Laurence was also in attendance.

Also known as the Braemar Gathering, the event was known to be a favourite of Charles' late mother Queen Elizabeth II.

King Charles III wore a custom tartan designed by the Scottish Tartans Authority earlier this year to mark the coronation (Ian Vogler / Daily Mirror)

Camilla wore a tartan-inspired outfit at the event, which features a number of traditional events and games (Ian Vogler / Daily Mirror)

Various members of Royal Family have been attending the games since the reign of Queen Victoria, who bought the Balmoral estate with her husband Prince Albert. Competitions on the day include caber tossing, the tug of war and sack races, which are accompanied by cultural displays such as Highland dances and pipe bands.

The King Charles III tartan, named after the monarch, is green, blue and red and was designed by the Scottish Tartans Authority earlier this year to mark the coronation. The reigning monarch is traditionally named as chief of the gathering, though Charles has not yet been confirmed in this role.

Archie and Lilibet's titles 'need to be earned' by Harry and Meghan, says source

The event has been attended by members of the Royal Family for many years (Ian Vogler / Daily Mirror)

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak is set to meet with King Charles this weekend during their trip to Balmoral Castle. The visit to the royal estate comes ahead of Parliament returning from recess on Monday. It is not uncommon for the sitting Prime Minister to visit Balmoral, with the late Queen creating the tradition of inviting the incumbent to Scotland for a weekend in the summer.

The Queen's last ever public picture was taken during the royals' annual Balmoral trip last year, where she met Liz Truss in the green drawing room at the royal estate. Last year, it was reported that Charles wants to turn Balmoral into a museum in her memory. Various personal artefacts and items of clothing worn by the monarchy at significant points in her 70-year reign could potentially feature in exhibits, with the possible inclusion of selected pieces from the royal jewellery collection also likely to draw visitors.

Benedict Tetzlaff-Deas