A royal engagement became the setting for a touching family moment this week when Prince Charles and the Duchess of Cornwall met up with Camilla’s daughter Laura Lopes and her children at the Ballater Highland Games.
The three youngsters, Eliza, six, and twins Gus and Louis, five, were clearly in high spirits during their day out in Aberdeenshire – an outing made all the more special by the arrival of Charles and Camilla.
The prince, dressed in a traditional kilt and sporran, received a big hug from one of the twins which he fondly returned, a big smile across his face.
Meanwhile, little Eliza – who acted as a bridesmaid at the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge’s 2011 wedding - seemed intrigued by the royal’s sporran, and stepped up for a closer look to the amusement of those around her.
Prince Charles and Camilla are currently holidaying in Scotland, at their Birkhill home, located on the Balmoral estate.
It was their first visit to the Games, but they quickly got into the spirit of things, watching events include hammer throwing, and even toasting the event with a dram of whisky.
The couple – known as the Duke and Duchess of Rothesay while in Scotland - happily chatted with locals at the event, with Charles giving a big smile and a wave to one little boy particularly excited to see the royal guests.
Charles became a grandfather for the first time last July when William and Kate welcomed Prince George, and it is a role he has thrived in.
His delight at George’s arrival was evident in the statement he issued immediately following the birth.
“Both my wife and I are overjoyed at the arrival of my first grandchild,” said Charles, who was among the first to arrive at the hospital to see the newborn baby boy. "It is an incredibly special moment for William and Catherine and we are so thrilled for them on the birth of their baby boy.
"Grandparenthood is a unique moment in anyone's life, as countless kind people have told me in recent months, so I am enormously proud and happy to be a grandfather for the first time and we are eagerly looking forward to seeing the baby in the near future."