King Charles had an awkward run-in with a Shetland pony in Scotland. The 77-year-old monarch arrived in Scotland on Wednesday (19th August) to spend his summer break at Balmoral Castle, and he was greeted by a guard of honour provided by the Royal Regiment of Scotland, of which he is Colonel in Chief.
King Charles Meets the Regimental Mascot
During the engagement, King Charles inspected soldiers from Balaklava Company, 5th Battalion, who took up royal guard duties in Balmoral in July and will remain in position until October. He also met Corporal Cruachan IV, an adorable Shetland pony who is the regiment's mascot and on parade alongside his handler, Cpl Rory Stewart.
The moment the King and Corporal Cruachan IV met was captured on camera and shared on X by STV News, but there was one awkward detail about their interaction that got royal fans giggling.
Awkward Moment Captured on Camera
When the monarch stuck his hand out to stroke the pony, it seemed to try to bite him, and he had to pull his hand back quickly to avoid a potentially nasty injury.
One commenter on Facebook joked: "Second most terrifying animal after a chihuahua."
Another added: "Never trust a pony."
And a third quipped: "Either the pony opposes the monarchy or he thinks the fibre on the King's coat is tasty."
Viewers Defend the Pony's Behaviour
However, others pointed out the pony wasn't actually trying to bite King Charles, and was instead just "nibbling", which is common for horses who are used to getting treats from humans.
Someone argued: "It wasn’t trying to bite him, the pony thought he had a treat!"
Another posted: "He's nibbling, he's just hoping for a treat."
One poster who has plenty of experience with Shetland ponies wrote: "Haha, being from Shetland, I can promise you if he wanted to bite, he would have. That was just a warning."
King Charles Takes It in His Stride
Regardless of whether he came within inches of being bitten or not, the monarch took it all in his stride. The clip shows him immediately going back to pet the pony on its nose seconds after the awkward encounter.
One commenter noted: "Love the way King Charles just takes it in his stride and pats the pony on its nose after - he's not stressed by it at all."
During the welcoming ceremony, King Charles was also treated to musical support from the 2nd Battalion, The Royal Regiment of Scotland, led by Sgt William Crawford and Col Sgt Joe Davies. Once the procession was over, the monarch then met members of the public who had gathered near the gates to welcome him to his summer home.
