King Charles revives historic Balmoral tradition ahead of summer stay at castle

King Charles revives historic Balmoral tradition ahead of summer stay at castle King Charles has received a grand welcome at his new summer holiday destination. On Tuesday, August 18, GB News reported that the British monarch has begun his annual summer retreat at Balmoral Castle, where he took part in a special ceremony. Upon his arrival, a Guard of Honour from the Balaklava Company, 5th Battalion The Royal Regiment of Scotland, delightfully welcomed the King with a formal ceremony. The grand event featured the Pipes and Drums of the 2nd Battalion providing musical accompaniment. Notably, Charles serves as Colonel-in-Chief of the regiment. Ahead of his arrival, King Charles revived a historic Balmoral tradition, which was discontinued by his great-grandfather King George V in 1936. The grand ceremony marked the presence of the first two members of the newly revived Balmoral Highlanders, who were placed outside the castle's front gate. The Balmoral Highlander are a historic ceremonial body of estate staff and the British Royal Family, who helped maintain the estate's Scottish Highland traditions and took part in royal and local events. They were disbanded in 1936 by King George V, but King Charles III re-established it in August 2026 to revive the historic royal estate tradition on the Balmoral grounds. The Balmoral Highlanders are also scheduled to participate in the Braemar Gathering in September. Each Highlander carries a ceremonial Lochaber Axe, keeping the tradition of the historic group alive. It is also worth mentioning that their uniforms are based on those worn in the late 19th century, featuring kilts and plaids made in the Balmoral Glen Gelder tartan, specially crafted at the King's request. King Charles recent engagements in Scotland Throughout this month, King Charles has had a packed schedule in Scotland as he took part in several engagements, including his appearance in the Castle of Mey Games, visit to the Assynt Mountain Rescue team, and spending time in Halkirk and Castletown.