King pats Shetland pony mascot as a guard of honour marks his Balmoral arrival
The traditional ceremony is held when the monarch takes up summer residence at Balmoral Castle.
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.The King made friends with a Shetland pony at a ceremony marking his official arrival at Balmoral.
The mascot of the Royal Regiment of Scotland, Shetland pony Corporal Cruachan IV, was part of the guard of honour welcoming Charles as takes up residence at the castle during his summer break.
Charles patted the pony as he inspected the troops.
The ceremony was held outside the gates of Balmoral Castle on Monday, with a guard of honour formed of the Balaklava Company, 5th Battalion The Royal Regiment of Scotland, under the command of Major Neil Cargill.
The Band of The Royal Regiment of Scotland and The Pipes and Drums of the Royal Corps of Signals performed traditional tunes including Highland Cathedral and The Rose of Kelvingrove.
The King spoke to some in the crowd of about 50 who gathered to watch the ceremony.