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Why Ballater station is such a welcome destination for King Charles

Ballater King Charles
9 August 1952 - Queen Elizabeth, Prince Philip, Prince Charles, and Princess Anne arriving at Ballater Station.

King Charles has passed through Ballater Station regularly since August 1949 when he was almost nine months old.

He must have picked up the pleasurable anticipation of his family as they headed to their ‘summer house’ at Balmoral, and descended at Ballater for the onward motor journey to the castle.

Ballater King Charles

Here’s Prince Charles, aged almost nine months, on his first ever arrival at Ballater Station.

His grandmother, the late Queen Mother, is smiling on with obvious pride.

What a difference a year makes.

Out he pops in September 1950, but perhaps intimidated by the crowds waiting to welcome the Royal party, he doesn’t quite have the confidence to step any further alone.

Ballater King Charles

Watched by his mother, he strides purposefully into the grand car which awaits them.

He also had a little sister to think about.

Princess Anne was born on August 15, 1950.

The Royal children are accompanied by Nurse Lightbody.

Edinburgh-born Helen Lightbody was known as ‘No-Nonsense Lightbody’ and ran the Royal nursery from 1948-56.

She was allegedly sacked for over-ruling the Queen’s request for a special dessert to be added to the Royal menu one day.

Ballater King Charles

Here Prince Charles displays brotherly love to his little sister as the train departs Ballater station.

The little siblings were often snapped together at Ballater.

The sun always shines in Ballater- here they are on May 31, 1954, with civic dignitaries in the shadows.

Charles would have been coming on for six, and Anne almost four.

Ballater King Charles

Charles’ ear-to-ear grin is a testament to the relaxing power of the corgi dog.

We don’t know whose hand that is on the corgi, but Charles has clearly been telling the dog to wave from the Royal train.

The young prince must have been relieved to take shelter in the Royal train away from the press of the crowds in Ballater.

Here he is in 1951, with Princess Anne and Nurse Lightbody.

Ballater King Charles

Here, in 1955, Princess Anne drags a seemingly reluctant Corgi into the car, while Prince Charles glances at the photographer.

Glancing over at photographers quickly became a lifelong habit.

Ballater train station

Ballater- a very Royal station, whose message to King Charles III is as it was for the late Queen, ‘Welcome, you’re nearly home.’

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