King Charles III is celebrating his Scottish roots in a new photo released by Buckingham Palace on Saturday, January 24.
The monarch, 76, can be seen wearing a kilt made from the King Charles III tartan in the picture, which was taken in the library at Balmoral Castle, the royal family’s holiday home in Scotland.
It was snapped in the fall of last year, according to a press release issued by the palace to Us Weekly. The image was later shared on the palace’s Instagram account.
“Wishing those celebrating a very happy #BurnsNight tonight,” the caption read.
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The photo, taken by Millie Pilkington, was released on Burns Night, an annual celebration in honor of Scotland’s national poet, Robert Burns. (Burns is known for the song “Auld Lang Syne,” which is often performed on New Year’s Eve around the world.)
It’s not the first time Charles has rocked a kilt. He wore the traditional Scottish garment on multiple royal engagements in Scotland throughout the years.
The royal family has a strong connection to Scotland. Every summer, senior royals travel to Edinburgh, the country’s capital city, for Royal Week, also known as Holyrood Week. While there, they usually stay at the Palace of Holyroodhouse, the family’s official residence in Edinburgh.
The late Queen Elizabeth II spent her final days at Balmoral Castle, where she died at the age of 96 on September 8, 2022. Her coffin was later transported to the Palace of Holyroodhouse and placed in the throne room before being taken to London for Elizabeth II’s funeral on September 19.
The King quoted Burns when speaking about his mother’s death at the Scottish Parliament in September 2022.
“My mother felt, as I do, the greatest admiration for the Scottish people, for their magnificent achievements and their indomitable spirit,” Charles said at the time.
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“And it was the greatest comfort for her to know, in turn, the true affection in which she was held. The knowledge of that deep and abiding bond must be to us a solace as we mourn the end of a life of incomparable service,” he added.
The King continued: “If I might paraphrase the words of the great Robert Burns, my dear mother was: ‘The friend of man, the friend of truth; The friend of age, and guide of youth: Few hearts like hers, with virtue warm’d, Few heads with knowledge so inform’d.’”
