The Lord Lieutenant of Aberdeenshire has spoken of the Royal Family’s “strong and enduring connection” to Deeside as thousands of people packed Ballater to pay their respects to the late Queen’s passing cortege.
Visitors from as far as New Zealand were among those lining Bridge Street in the village, which has fewer than 1,500 residents, to watch the hearse go by.
It was the first settlement to be visited as part of the monarch’s final journey between Balmoral Castle and the Palace of Holyroodhouse in Edinburgh, and Lord Lieutenant Sandy Manson said it carried special meaning for the Queen.
He said: “Ballater and Deeside meant so much to the Queen, and the Queen meant so much to the people of Ballater and Deeside.
“There is such a turnout because of the affection – people are very sad, but they’re also very grateful, because this was a connection that is deep and enduring, and my goodness did the Queen reciprocate that connection.
“She was so engaged in this community, she so loved this community, and we loved her.”
‘Like your mum has died’
After her death was announced on Thursday, a large pile of flowers grew around a granite monument outside the village’s Glenmuick Church marking the diamond jubilee.
Among the messages left by visitors from Canada and the US were others from locals, including one reminiscing about a moment in the 1960s when the writer waved to the Queen while visiting their relative’s nearby farm.
Reverend David Barr, the minister at Glenmuick Church, said the villagers’ grief was “like your mum’s passed away”.
He added: “In this village, everybody knows each other.
“It’s a very tight-knitted part of our community. She was part of our community, so it has been hard today.”
Jim Savege, the chief executive of Aberdeenshire Council, read the proclamation confirming King Charles III as the new king on the steps of the kirk.
He was flanked by the Mr Manson and the other two lord lieutenants in the local authority area: Andrew Simpson of Banffshire and Alastair Macphie of Kincardineshire.
Enduring bonds with royals expected to continue
Aberdeenshire provost Judy Whyte said the region would look to keep its close relationship with the royals going long into the future.
She said: “We hope that the family will continue to find time in their busy schedules to come and enjoy the beauty of Aberdeenshire and the tranquillity that there is here.
“I think it’ll be a special place for them to come, even more so now, as it will be a place for them to reflect and treasure the memories of Her Majesty.”
Mr Manson echoed her belief, saying: “It is a bond that I believe won’t break at all, and King Charles III and the Queen Consort and other members of the Royal Family will always find Balmoral, Deeside and Aberdeenshire a home for them.
“They will always be welcomed here.”