King Charles enjoyed a wee dram as he visited the Mey Highland Games in Scotland on Saturday, 5 August.
The monarch, 74, was photographed attending the event held in the village of John O’Groats in the far north of Scotland.
Charles, who is chieftain of the games, wore a traditional kilt with a green tweed jacket, a matching waistcoat and red woollen socks.
Upon arrival, he appeared relaxed and took time to shake hands with and wave at members of the public.
Once seated in the front row of the marquee, he put on sunglasses and enjoyed a glass of whisky as he watched the spectacle – which included a traditional caber toss and a tug of war.
The first Mey Games was held in the nearby village of Mey in 1970 to celebrate the late Queen Mother’s 70th birthday.
As guest of honour on the day, she declared the event a success and encouraged its organisers to make it an annual event.
Charles, who was presented with a sword, sceptre and crown called the Honours of Scotland at an historic coronation service last month, also visited last year’s event, which was the first since the onset of the pandemic.
The King enjoys a dram during the Mey Highland Games at the John O’Groats Showground (Robert MacDonald/PA)— (PA Wire)
His visit took place ahead of an anticipated royal gathering at Balmoral Castle to commemorate his late mother, Queen Elizabeth II, on the one-year anniversary of her death.
Charles is expected to attend with senior royals, who will also mark the anniversary of his accession to the throne.
A source told The Sun that there has not been “any outreach” to the Duke and Duchess of Sussex regarding the royal event, leading to speculation that they could be “snubbed”.
“If they are not included in any of those plans they will find a way to mark the significance in their own way,” the source said.
One day after the event in Balmoral, Prince Harry is expected to be in Düsseldorf, Germany, for the 2023 Invictus Games from 9 September.
His wife will reportedly join him a few days later, as they are due to attend a number of events before appearing at the closing ceremony on 16 September.
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle were recently spotted leaving a celebrity hotspot restaurant in Montecito, California, on Wednesday night (2 August), ahead of the duchess’s birthday on Friday 4 August.
