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Caithness residents who celebrated Queen’s coronation reenact photo at Castle of Mey

Several people who were pictured in the Queen's coronation celebrations in 1953 came together again to reenact the photo.

The group decided to recreate the photograph that was taken at the late Queen's coronation in 1953.
 Image: Prince's Foundation.
The group decided to recreate the photograph that was taken at the late Queen's coronation in 1953. Image: Prince's Foundation.

Caithness residents who were pictured celebrating the Queen’s coronation at the Castle of Mey have reenacted the snap.

The group decided to recreate the photograph that was taken at the late Queen’s coronation in 1953.

It came about after the Queen Mother gave permission for the community to gather in front of the castle itself for the historic moment.

Now as part of the coronation celebrations for King Charles III, locals in Caithness marked the day with a “nod to the past”.

Shirley Farquhar, administrator at Queen Elizabeth Castle of Mey Trust, said it was a “very busy” day at the Castle of Mey.

The new photograph was taken at the King’s coronation on Saturday. Image: Colin Campbell/ Prince’s Foundation.

Like many venues across the country, a live screening was hosted in the Granary Lodge on the grounds and the castle was open to the public for free.

Residents remember ‘joyous occasion’

Seven of the people who were pictured in the Queen’s coronation celebrations in 1953 came along to reenact the photo.

This included two guides at the castle Hazel Farquhar and Katie Henderson.

In some cases, the attendees went back four generations.

The seven people who appeared in both photographs. Caithness Castle of Mey. Image: Colin Campbell/ Prince’s Foundation.

But the castle staff wanted to encourage everyone who came along to the celebrations the chance to join in on the new photo if they wished.

It included Caithness residents and tourists alike.

Ms Farquhar told BBC’s Good Morning Scotland on Saturday: “We have one lady she just remembers excitement and running around with other children.

“She remembers the picture being taken and her mum was in there as well.

“It was just a joyous occasion and that’s why we’re wanting to try and recreate that today.”

The original photo was taken in 1953. It was taken by Nan Fraser, Cairnlea, Canisbay. Image: Prince’s Foundation.

Castle of Mey has special link with Queen Mother

The Queen Mother had a special history with the Caithness castle after she bought the property not long after her husband died. 

Ms Farquhar said: “She’d just lost his majesty King George VI in the February and she saw the castle a couple of months later so she just felt probably it was a project she could do and it’s the only home she’s owned herself.

“I think the love of Mey and Caithness and North of Scotland in general was that people left her in peace. Nobody really bothered her.

King Charles officially opened the Granary Accommodation at the Castle of Mey. Image: Andrew Milligan/PA Wire

“I think she really became a part of the community. I think people locally saw that love she had for the area.”

Ever since she died in 2002, King Charles has been visiting the property every year since, “taking on his grandmother’s mantle”.

Calling King Charles an “absolutely fantastic support for the north of Scotland“, Ms Farquhar said there was a lot of excitement about the weekend.

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