Eagled-eyed royal fans have spotted that King Charles carries a knife with him when he wears one particular item. King Charles was pictured at Scrabster Harbour on Monday. Just hours after congratulating the England women’s team after their major win at the Euros final in Switzerland, the 76-year-old was seen beaming as he departed for a reception for Caithness Communities hosted by the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority.
But royal watchers clocked that the King carries a knife with him when he wears one item of clothing. Dressed in full traditional dress, the King sported a kilt and a small traditional dagger known as a skene-dhu tucked into his socks. The skene-dhu could be seen worn in the traditional style – with the sheathed blade tucked into his socks and the upper part of the hilt, or handle, visible on his bare leg.
Skene-dhu’s are known to be a ceremonial item and are legal to wear in the UK – although with some exceptions – as part of full highland dress.
The monarch is known to have often worn a skene-dhu on previous occasions where he wore the Scottish traditional garb.
As well as the engagement earlier this week, the King has travelled to Scotand as the royals typically spend a few weeks there together during the summer holidays.
Although Balmoral is typically known as the place where the royals spend time in the summer, Charles is said to prefer Birkhall – the smaller estate next to Balmoral.
This year the royal’s holiday is said to be a little different as Balmoral is set to stay open to the public until August 10 – meaning that the King’s time at Balmoral will be reduced.
Speaking on behalf of Slingo, former royal butler Paul Burrell said: “[The King] will go to Balmoral, although this year is going to be different because he loves Birkhall. That’s his Granny’s house on the Balmoral estate. He loves it there because it’s smaller, it’s quiet, it’s cosy. He will spend a week or more at Balmoral Castle but this year for the first time, Balmoral Castle is going to be open to the public because this is what the Queen didn’t want during her reign.
“She resisted, she said she never wanted Balmoral to be open to the public. That was the only home she had that was not open to the public. She said it would ‘stay that way as long as I’m Queen’.”