Meeting a King for the first time is no doubt a “thrilling” experience.
But when that rare encounter comes by surprise, it’s all the more special.
Dozens lined up outside the gates of Balmoral Castle today as King Charles was officially welcomed to the Royal Family’s summer residence with a guard of honour.
Donning a Stewart tartan kilt, His Majesty greeted the regiment and its mascot, Shetland pony Corporal Cruachan IV, before making his way to the crowds.
Lord Lieutenant Sandy Manson looked on with a kind smile from the gates as The King graced families from far and near with a handshake and a brief chat.
‘It’s a huge honour! We don’t see royals every day’
Trembling with excitement by my side, Christine Lux from Palatinate, Germany, is patiently waiting for her turn.
The 65-year-old is one of 22 tourists who caught the traditional ceremony “completely by chance” while travelling across the north-east.
After three weeks of exploring Scotland – from Glasgow to the Outer Hebrides and Shetland – they had stopped in Ballater for a night before visiting Balmoral.
“It was supposed to be just a normal visit to the castle,” she tells me.
“But look at us now, we are meeting The King himself.
“I’ve been to Scotland six times now, but I have never seen such a scene, such grandeur – with the pipes, the pony and guards.”
As His Majesty gets closer, Christine starts sorting her outfit and diligently putting all of her locks back in place as the chilly wind undoes all of her hard work.
“Do I look OK?” she asks me through a humble chuckle.
“This would probably be the first and the last time I see the King, I need to be in my top form.
“It’s a huge honour…I’m just a simple camping girl, don’t see royals every day.”
Sadly, the King stops his tour among the crowds just before Christine so she misses out on the monumental handshake.
But she is not disappointed as she gets to go back home and tell everyone of her “amazing” surprise encounter with His Majesty.
‘I never thought I’d see The King in the flesh’
Next to Christine is 69-year-old Elisabeth Schmid, who can barely catch her breath, asking dozens of questions about The King, Balmoral and the Lord Lieutenant.
She says the Royal Family is of particular interest to her – after all, she bears the same name as the late Queen who “everyone in Germany adored and admired”.
“I never thought I would see The King in the flesh,” she beams.
“I saw him when he last visited Germany but was only on the TV… He gave such a lovely speech, and I thought to myself ‘Shame, I’d never see him in person’.
“But here we are! This was so interesting to experience.”
‘A lovely surprise’ for long-time fans from Germany
For Andreas Schweizer and his wife Elwira, catching a glimpse of the ceremony is “easily” the highlight of their trip.
And like many others on their German “hotel-bus”, they held secret hope they might see some royalty during their visit to Aberdeenshire.
King Charles and Queen Camilla have been staying at Birkhall on the Balmoral Estate after the monarch attended the Mey Highland Games earlier this month.
The couple were also seen at Crathie Kirk for the weekly Sunday service.
But Andreas never thought their hopes would actually become reality.
The couple from Karlsruhe first saw the King back in 2009 when he was travelling across South Africa as the Prince of Wales.
And they were struck by his “friendly and humble” character.
“He was literally two metres away from us,” Andreas recalls.
“There was no security, nothing – he was just walking about, greeting everybody like a normal person. We have been fans of his ever since.
“It was such a lovely surprise to see him once again here.”
‘The King is very popular in Romania’
Meanwhile, Alex and Sica Mihai first thought something bad had happened when they saw all of the police cars parked around the gates at Balmoral Castle.
The pair, originally from Romania, have lived near London for about eight years.
And while they are used to the buzz around the Royal Family, with thousands of tourists flocking to Buckingham Palace every day, seeing The King was actually a first for them.
“It’s funny how we live in London, but the first time we see The King is here in Scotland – totally by chance while out on a road trip,” 35-year-old Sica smiles.
They add there is a particular sentiment to seeing His Majesty as he is a “well loved” figure in their homeland.
King Charles owns several properties in Romania – in Viscri, in the Zalanului Valley, in Malancrav and in Breb.
And he has done plenty of charity work in the region through his foundation while he was still the Prince of Wales.
“People in Romania love The King and his late mother, Queen Elizabeth. There is a sort of a celebration when he visits his residence in Transylvania as the locals really like him.
“He just appears to be very friendly with everyone, very down to earth.”
It was also a special day for Major Neil Cargill, as it was his first Royal Guard as Officer Commanding for the Balaklava Company.
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