Joanna Lumley, the 79-year-old actress best known for her role in Absolutely Fabulous, was photographed sitting behind King Charles and Queen Camilla at the Braemar Gathering on Saturday as competitors took part in the traditional Highland games.
The Braemar Gathering, held annually in the Aberdeenshire village of Braemar on the first Saturday of September, drew members of the royal family and spectators to watch heavy athletics, piping and dancing. Attendees observed a one-minute silence to mark the death of Katharine, the Duchess of Kent, earlier this week; the King and Queen were seen looking emotional during the moment of reflection before the day's events began.
Lumley arrived in a dark green blazer, a tan moleskin hat and a string of pearls, and was later pictured seated behind the monarch and his wife. She carried a brown leather handbag and wore a tartan sash. The King attended in a black suit jacket and tie over a white shirt and kilt, while Queen Camilla wore a long blue coat with a tartan collar.
The Braemar Gathering is one of Scotland’s best-known Highland games, featuring events such as the caber toss, hammer throw and stone put. The royal presence at Braemar is a longstanding tradition; members of the royal family regularly attend the event, which brings together athletes, pipers and Highland dancers from across the region and beyond.
Photographs from the event showed competitors preparing for and taking part in the heavy events, while crowds gathered on the show field. Organisers staged the programme in keeping with long-established customs, and the scheduled pipers and dancers performed as part of the day's proceedings.
Lumley’s appearance alongside the King and Queen underscores the Braemar Gathering’s status as both a sporting and social fixture in Scotland’s cultural calendar. The event continued through the afternoon with traditional competitions and displays, drawing visitors to Braemar for the annual celebration of Highland heritage.