King and Queen receive Lego figures as they meet ‘good neighbours’

The King and Queen received miniature Lego versions of themselves as they met with their “good neighbours” at a community hall in Aberdeenshire.

Charles and Camilla visited the Albert Hall in Ballater to mark its 150th anniversary, seeing award-winning Highland dancers and hearing a piece of fiddle music composed specially for the occasion.

The area has a long association with the royal family, being near their residences at Balmoral and Birkhall.

They were greeted by crowds and music from the Ballater and district pipe band as they arrived on Thursday morning. Charles wore a kilt in his own King Charles tartan.

As the royal couple entered the hall, they met children from Ballater School, who had held a competition to design a new flag for the hall.

The building was reopened by the late Queen Elizabeth II in 1987.

The Earl and Countess of Aboyne were in the hall, showing the royals a trowel used to lay the first stone of the building in 1875.

As Charles and Camilla met people from the Ballater community, they were shown a Lego recreation of the building they were standing in which had been created by the village’s Lego club.

Nicola Reid, 45, put the final touches on the Lego diorama, which included tiny versions of herself, Charles and Camilla.

She explained to the King and Queen that it had taken weeks to build the model. Charles was seen to pick up the Lego versions of himself and his wife.

Ms Reid said afterwards that the model was a  “labour of love” and the royals had seemed to “really like it”.

She said afterwards: “He seemed quite impressed – he might treasure it.”

The King and Queen also saw a brief highland dance performance from Annie Hutcheon and Lexi McCracken, the latter of whom won a prize at the Braemar Gathering Highland games.

They also heard a special fiddle tune composed and performed by local musician Dr Paul Anderson for the occasion.

Archie McEwan, 12, also played cello music during the event.

As they left the community hall, the royals waved and shook hands with a crowd outside, which included a group of tourists from Australia.

Gordon Riddler, chairman of the Victoria and Albert Halls Trust, showed the royals around the Albert Hall.

He told the PA news agency the royals had been in “great spirits”, saying: “People in Ballater call them good neighbours, because that’s what they are.

“Birkhall is only three miles away and that’s where he spends most of his time.

“They feel totally relaxed in Ballater because people talk to them as if they’re neighbours.”

Mr Riddler said that before Charles became King, he would sometimes drive into the village while staying in Aberdeenshire, though such impromptu visits were not possible with his new role.