The Queen has been enjoying the start of her summer holidays in Balmoral, Scotland, and on Tuesday the 93-year-old monarch found herself reunited with a notoriously mischievous Shetland pony who once ate her flowers. As with every year, the royal's arrival at Balmoral has been preceded by the inspection of the Balaklava Company – part of the Royal Regiment of Scotland. The pony, named Cruachan IV, is the mascot of the Regiment, and was standing outside the castle gates. The Queen was pictured smiling as she petted the pony, while dressed in a light blue skirt suit with a matching hat. Cruachan IV had eaten the monarch's flowers during a visit to Stirling Castle in July 2017, and the Queen had ordered him to "go away." She then told the horse's minder: "They always try to eat the flowers."
The Queen reunited with a mischievous Shetland pony while in Balmoral
It is well known that the Queen adores her summer months in Balmoral, and during her holidays she is able to fully relax. Members of the royal family go to stay with her and Prince Philip during the three months that they stay in Scotland, and are often pictured attending the local church in Crathie for the Sunday service, which the Queen attends each week. Last year, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, the Countess of Wessex and Prince Edward, and Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie were among those who went to visit.
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The royal spends her summer months in Scotland and is at her happiest there
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During a rare interview, the Queen's granddaughter Eugenie opened up about just how special Balmoral was to her grandmother. "Walks, picnics, dogs – a lot of dogs, there's always dogs – and people coming in and out all the time. It's a lovely base for Granny and Grandpa, for us to come and see them up there; where you just have room to breathe and run," Eugenie revealed during an appearance on ITV's Our Queen At Ninety. "It's the most beautiful place on earth," she added. "I think Granny is the most happy there. I think she really, really loves the Highlands."
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