Queen beams with joy as she enjoys annual Braemar Highland Gathering with Prince Charles
The Queen appeared to giggle as she sat with two of her children and joined 15,000 spectators to cheer on competitors
THE Queen beamed earlier today as she attended the Braemar Gathering in The Princess Royal and Duke of Fife Memorial Park in the Highlands.
The monarch appeared to be in good spirits as she enjoyed the annual event with Prince Charles and Princess Anne.
Her Majesty is patron of the Braemar Gathering which is held each year a short distance from the royals' summer retreat on the Balmoral estate.
The 92-year-old, wearing a striking jade-green dress suit, appeared to giggle as she sat with two of her children and joined 15,000 spectators to cheer on competitors.
The Queen and Princess Anne were both presented with floral posies which they carried throughout their hour-long visit.
The event is always held on the first Saturday in September in the Aberdeenshire town, and visitors can watch competitions in events including tossing the caber, hammer throwing and tug of war.
Pipe bands and Highland Dancers also perform at the gathering, which is organised by the Braemar Royal Highland Society, and has been run in its present form since 1832.
Before leaving, the Queen and Prince Charles, the Duke of Rothesay, officially unveiled the newly-built Highland Games Pavilion, which will open to the public next year and will showcase the history of the Highland Games.
The £2.5 million heritage centre is named after the Duke of Rothesay and was partly funded and driven by the Prince's Foundation as well as numerous local donors.
Leading the tour of the new property, David Geddes, president of Braemar Royal Highland Society, said he hopes the exhibition will become a draw for people from across the globe.
He said: "Even members of the committee didn't know of the existence of many of the items that now feature in the exhibition.
"It was nice to go through all the donated pieces - some of the finds have created a bit of a stir in the village."
Exhibits include items from Highland Games and Gatherings, such as medals and trophies, and partner The Scottish Tartans Authority will also contribute to the collection.
The Queen is the current, and longest serving, patron of the Braemar Royal Highland Society.
She first attended with her parents and grandparents at the age of seven in 1933.
She has only missed the Gathering four times since taking the throne in 1952.
Queen Victoria first attended the gathering in 1848 and since then the reigning monarch and other members of the royal family have regularly appeared at it.
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