The King, adorned in his kilt, was captured in a fresh image as he embarked on his summer retreat in Scotland, paying tribute to his cherished grandmother.
During the initial week of August, Charles visited the Castle and Gardens of Mey in Caithness, located in the northern part of Scotland, coinciding with the celebration of the Queen Mother’s birthday. While there, he planted the King’s Rose, a special rose breed cultivated by David Austin Roses in collaboration with The King’s Foundation, in his honor, within the castle’s Diamond Jubilee Rose Garden.
Adding to the castle’s charm are two sycamore trees at the entrance, planted by Charles and Queen Camilla back in 2005, during their time as the Duke and Duchess of Rothesay in Scotland.
The King’s Rose has also found a home at The King’s Foundation sister locations – Dumfries House in East Ayrshire and Highgrove Gardens in Gloucestershire.
The Castle and Gardens of Mey, a beloved property of the Queen Mother, acquired in 1952, was a seasonal abode for her, with a typical August stay of three weeks. Charles, who has been visiting since childhood, upholds this tradition.
Presently managed by The King’s Foundation, overseeing various meaningful green spaces to the King, the Castle and Gardens of Mey will be open for public tours starting Wednesday, August 12.
Recently, the King hosted a special reception at the Castle of Mey for the Scottish mountain rescue volunteers and recounted surviving a fatal avalanche nearly 40 years ago, an experience that left a lasting impact.
The gathering included members of the Assynt Mountain Rescue Team, with whom the King shared his survival tale from the 1988 avalanche tragedy that claimed the life of his close friend, Major Hugh Lindsay, a former equerry to the late Queen Elizabeth, and injured another companion on the Swiss ski slopes.
The reception coincided with Charles’s attendance at the Mey Highland Games over the weekend, where he was seen enjoying a dram of whiskey. Dressed in his customary kilt, the King mingled with spectators and participants at the Caithness event on Saturday, holding the honorary title of Chieftain at the Mey Highland Games since 2002, taking over from his grandmother, the late Queen Mother.
Witnessing the traditional tug o’ war competition, Charles congratulated a team of firefighters on their victory, extending his appreciation with a handshake. Additionally, he met with the Wounded Highlanders, a group of injured military veterans engaged in adaptive competitions at the Mey Highland Games annually, held at the John O’Groats showground on the initial Saturday of August.
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