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As King Charles begins his annual summer stay at Balmoral Castle, the Royal Family’s official Instagram account has shared a collection of nostalgic photos to celebrate the tradition.
The monarch kicked off his holiday in Scotland with a military ceremony on Monday, 18 August, and was officially received by a Guard of Honour from Balaklava Company, 5th Battalion The Royal Regiment of Scotland (SCOTS).
Balmoral Castle, situated in Aberdeenshire, Scotland, has been in the possession of the Royal Family since 1852, when Queen Victoria and Prince Albert purchased the estate and its surrounding lands.
The Royal Family’s social media post featured vintage black-and-white pictures of the late Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip with their small children, along with more recent images of King Charles and Queen Camilla.
The first photo in the collection portrayed Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip on garden steps, flanked by a young Charles and Anne.
Another black-and-white photo in the set offered fans a look at the playful nature of the royal couple with their children, depicting Philip pushing Charles and Anne on a swing, the two stacked atop one another, while the Queen watched, petting one of her dogs.
There was plenty of fun to be had on the grounds of Balmoral Castle, as illustrated by a later photo of Charles and Anne as slightly older children, playing see-saw with a plank of wood and a log.
There is also a colour photograph of the Queen and Philip in their golden years, Her late Majesty dressed comfortably in a blue collared blouse and blue cardigan with a tartan skirt and her signature black handbag, while the then-Duke of Edinburgh wore a green-hued tweed suit and a red patterned tie.
The late Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip are pictured beaming at someone off-camera as they spent their summer holiday at Balmoral Castle
The family had plenty of fun while staying at Balmoral Castle, illustrated by this photo of Prince Philip pushing young Charles and Anne on a swing as they are stacked on top of one another, while Queen Elizabeth looks on
The set also included a picture of King Charles and Queen Camilla, in which the King is out of focus and smiling at something off-camera, while Camilla is smiling directly at the camera while wearing a red beret with jaunty feathers and a pink coat with a tartan collar.
One black-and-white photo showed three generations of the Royal Family – King George VI and the Queen Mother, alongside Princess Elizabeth, Princess Margaret, and Philip, a young Charles and tiny baby Anne in her pram.
Fans were also treated to a candid photo of Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip sitting on a sofa with one of their many dogs.
The final photo in the series was of Queen Elizabeth and Princess Anne, who appeared to be bonding over their love for horses as they tended to the reigns of one of their animals together.
In the caption, the Royal Family wrote: ‘For almost two centuries, members of the Royal Family have spent their summers on the Balmoral Estate in Scotland.
‘This tradition began in 1852 when Queen Victoria and Prince Albert acquired Balmoral Castle.
‘Since then, the castle and its grounds in the Scottish Highlands have provided the setting for many private and official family moments and have cemented the family’s affection for Scotland and its people.’
Interspersed between the family photos paintings and engravings of Balmoral Castle and its grounds, which showed the beauty of the Scottish Highlands and the grandeur of the estate.
From left to right: Young Charles, the Queen Mother, Princess Margaret, Prince Philip, King George VI, Princess Elizabeth, and Princess Anne
Fans were also treated to a candid photo of the late Queen and then-Duke of Edinburgh as they sat on a sofa with one of their dogs
The final photo in the series showed a young Princess Anne bonding with her mother over their love for horses as they tended to one
Young Charles and Anne found other ways to entertain themselves, such as using a plank and a log as a see saw in this photo, while Prince Philip and Queen Elizabeth supervise with one of their corgis
The Queen and Prince Philip were known to be extremely fond of Balmoral Castle, pictured here with young Charles and Anne on garden steps
King Charles and Queen Camilla are continuing the royal family’s tradition of spending summers at Balmoral Castle, and have just started their residency for 2025
Royal fans commented on how ‘cute’ the young Charles and Anne looked, and were happy for a glimpse into the Royal Family’s summer holidays
Royals fans gushed over the photographs, describing the memories as ‘beautiful’.
‘Little Princess Anne had the most precious blonde curls!’ one person wrote of the young Princess Royal.
‘The King and the Princess Royal are just adorable in these pictures! So cute!’ another commented.
A third added: ‘Looks so so beautiful, and I’m sure there are so many great summer memories,’ another person commented.
Balmoral was a favourite place of the late Queen Elizabeth and her husband, as it was a place where they could enjoy family time, relaxed holidays and the stunning landscape that their 50,000 acres offered them.
It was where she spent her final days before her death on September 8 2022, aged 96.
In the BBC’s A Tribute To Her Majesty The Queen, Princess Anne recalled the wonderful holidays they had in Balmoral, explaining that it was partly because the estate comprised all the things that the Queen enjoyed, including ‘the countryside, the dogs, the horses and just being out and about and being able to get away a bit from that public gaze’.
