King Charles interrupts summer break with Balmoral appearance as he issues heartfelt message

The King was officially welcomed to Balmoral after hailing the British public’s “extraordinary compassion” for people in need.

Charles, 75, donned a kilt in his own King Charles III tartan, along with red hose and a brown leather sporran, as he inspected a guard of honour from the Balaklava Company, 5th Battalion, The Royal Regiment of Scotland.

The monarch also stood for the national anthem before taking the time to greet locals who had gathered near the gates during the welcome ceremony.

The King was also accompanied by his equerry, Lieutenant Colonel Johnny Thompson, who switched to a less public-facing role last year.

Charles is set to host his family members in the coming weeks at his Scottish residence.

The King’s appearance comes after he released a message to mark World Humanitarian Day on Monday. He praised the British public for their “remarkable generosity” and never failing to step up for those in need as he marked World Humanitarian Day.

The Disasters Emergency Committee shared an update on its work with the monarch, which includes appeals to helping those in Afghanistan, Ukraine, Pakistan and Turkey-Syria, and areas it is closely monitoring such as Sudan and Gaza.

He was presented with a photo gallery of 15 images from recent campaigns, including images of hot meals being handed to families displaced by conflict in Gaza, a Ukrainian family in a refugee shelter in Poland, and rescuers searching for survivors after the Turkey-Syria earthquakes.