King Charles III enjoyed a traditional Scottish celebration this week as new figures revealed growing public confidence in his leadership as monarch.

Just days after a new poll showed that 68% of Brits believe King Charles III is doing a good job, the highest approval figure recorded by YouGov’s tracker to date, the King appeared in high spirits during his visit to the Mey Highland Games in Scotland.

The monarch attended the event at the John O’Groats Showground on August 1, 2026, where he embraced Scottish traditions while wearing traditional Highland dress and a kilt.

During the festivities, Charles watched classic Highland competitions including tug o’ war, the stone put, and the caber toss. The King smiled throughout the event, met competitors, and congratulated participants following their performances.

Among those he met were members of the Wounded Highlanders, a team of injured military veterans who compete in adaptive sporting events.

The King also spent time meeting local entrepreneurs showcasing their products before enjoying a dram of whisky during the celebrations. A dram refers to a small, unmeasured serving of whisky traditionally enjoyed by sipping.

A Special Connection to the Mey Highland Games

The Mey Highland Games hold a special place in royal history.

The first event was held in the nearby village of Mey in 1970 to celebrate the 70th birthday of the late Queen Mother. As guest of honor, she declared the occasion a success and encouraged organizers to continue it as an annual tradition.

Today, the event takes place every year at the John O’Groats showground on the first Saturday of August.

King Charles has maintained a close connection with the games, becoming Chieftain of the Mey Highland Games in 2002 after taking over the role from his grandmother.

The King’s relationship with Scotland runs even deeper through the royal family’s beloved private residence, Balmoral Estate, and his regular appearances in the country have helped strengthen his connection with the public.

The Royal Family Brings the Commonwealth Games Together

While King Charles celebrated Highland traditions in Scotland, other members of the Royal Family were also carrying out engagements connected to the 2026 Commonwealth Games.

Further south in Glasgow, the Prince and Princess of Wales attended sporting events alongside their children — Prince George, 13, Princess Charlotte, 11, and Prince Louis, 8.

The family watched a tense netball match between Australia, the world’s No. 1 ranked team, and Jamaica, the silver medalists from Birmingham 2022.

They later attended a track cycling event at the Sir Chris Hoy Velodrome, joined by Sir Chris Hoy and the Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh.

The appearance marked an important milestone, as 2026 was the first Commonwealth Games attended by Prince George and Prince Louis. While Princess Charlotte had previously attended the event, her brothers were experiencing the tournament for the first time.

With the children currently enjoying their summer break from school, the family has been making the most of their time together before George begins life as a full-time boarder at Eton College in Windsor.

Eton is also the school attended by Prince William and Prince Harry, while King Charles studied at Gordonstoun School in Scotland, the alma mater of his father, Prince Philip.

Source: Various Sources