NEED TO KNOW

  • King Charles started his summer stay at Balmoral Castle in Scotland with a welcome ceremony
  • The event meant a reunion with a Shetland pony known as Corporal Cruachan IV, who has been known for his naughty antics with Queen Elizabeth
  • The royal family will gather at Balmoral Castle in the coming weeks, where the King will spend some time out of the public eye

King Charles‘ official welcome to Balmoral Castle in Scotland wouldn’t be complete without a reunion with a pony known for some antics.

On Monday, Aug. 18, the King officially started his summer residence at Balmoral with a welcome ceremony. The monarch, 76, sported a kilt as he inspected troops from Balaklava Company, 5th Battalion of the Royal Regiment of Scotland, and once again met with their mascot, a Shetland pony known as Corporal Cruachan IV.

As King Charles exchanged a few words with the mascot’s handler, causing him to smile on a few occasions, Cruachan appeared to be on his best behavior. The sovereign made sure to give the pony a pat on the nose before moving on.

Cruachan has behaved for King Charles over recent years, but the pony was known for some scene-stealing behavior during the reign of Queen Elizabeth.

King Charles at official welcome to Balmoral on Aug. 18, 2025.

 Jane Barlow/PA Images/Getty

In 2017, Cruachan attempted to take a bite of the flowers being held by the Queen during a visit to Stirling Castle. The following year, the pony relieved himself during the ceremonial welcome to Balmoral Castle, causing Queen Elizabeth to turn and cover her nose with her hand.

Nodding to his naughty reputation, Queen Elizabeth once quipped, “Here we are again,” upon seeing the mascot.

Balmoral Castle recently announced that the grounds, gardens and exhibitions of the estate were closed to the public for the season, hinting that King Charles, Queen Camilla and other royals would soon be gathering there for their summer visit.

King Charles at official welcome to Balmoral on Aug. 18, 2025.

 Jane Barlow/PA Images/Getty

The Scottish Highlands castle and surrounding estate were purchased in 1845 by Queen Victoria’s husband, Prince Albert. Ever since, the British royal family has retreated to the royal residence for summer fun.

“It was a life of picnics and paddling around,” Margaret Rhodes, the Queen’s cousin, once said.

The castle was especially meaningful to the late Queen Elizabeth as the site of many important moments in her life, from Prince Philip‘s proposal in 1946 and their royal honeymoon to summers with her growing family.

Her granddaughter Princess Eugenie said of Balmoral in the 2016 documentary Our Queen at Ninety, “I think Granny is the most happy there. I think she really, really loves the Highlands.”

Balmoral Castle.

Robert Plattner/Oneworld Picture/Universal Images Group/Getty

Although it’s a vacation from the public eye, it’s not all play for the monarch during the break in the Scottish Highlands. Like his mother, King Charles continues to work, reading the diplomatic papers in the famous “red boxes” delivered daily. He also usually continues to hold audiences and undertake some public engagements between visits from members of the royal family.

While Balmoral holds many happy memories for the royals, it is also where Queen Elizabeth died at age 96 on Sept. 8, 2022, just days after her final royal duty. Last year, King Charles spent the first anniversary of his mother’s death and his accession to the throne at the castle, attending a service at the nearby Crathie Kirk church.

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King Charles at official welcome to Balmoral on Aug. 18, 2025.

 Jane Barlow/PA Images/Getty

Prince William and Kate Middleton‘s summer will almost certainly include a trip to Scotland with their three children: Prince George, 12, Princess Charlotte, 10, and Prince Louis, 7. The Prince and Princess of Wales also have an upcoming move ahead — over the weekend, PEOPLE confirmed that William and Kate will relocate to Forest Lodge in Windsor before the end of the year. The residence is larger than their current home base — Adelaide Cottage, where they moved in September 2022 — and is said to be their forever home, where they will live even after William accedes the throne upon his father’s death.