King Charles arrives at beloved Scottish residence alone to 'unwind' before Balmoral trip
dailyrecord.co.ukKing Charles made his way to his preferred Scottish retreat on Monday evening, and it's not the famed Balmoral Castle.A source close to the situation revealed that the monarch is taking some personal time at the Castle of Mey before he reunites with the Royal Family at Balmoral in the coming weeks.The insider disclosed: "Charles will spend the next 10 days or so at the castle [of Mey] until he joins the rest of the family at Balmoral."The source added: "It's something he does every year to regroup, unwind and plan for discussions he will have with members of the Royal Family when they meet at Balmoral." The Queen Mother, King Charles' grandmother, first encountered the Castle of Mey in 1952 during a stroll in the vicinity, shortly after she became a widow with the passing of King George VI, the Express reports.At that time, the Castle of Mey, dating back to the 16th century and overlooking the turbulent Pentland Firth, was in a state of neglect.
The Queen Mother reportedly remarked: "How sad it looks," adding, "Just like me."This poignant moment was also depicted in an episode of Netflix's hit series, The Crown.
The source noted that King Charles's deep reverence for his late grandmother endures to this day. Join the Daily Record' s WhatsApp community here and get the latest news sent straight to your messages. To honour her memory, the King begins each visit to the castle by picking flowers from the Queen Mother's cherished walled garden and placing them on the stone bench where she used to sit and look out over the Firth towards Orkney.This Saturday, Charles is set to attend the annual Mey Highland Games in John O'Groats.
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