A cheeky Shetland tried to nip Prince Harry’s hand as the royal visited Edinburgh today (Tuesday, 13 February).
The pony, Cpl Cruachan IV, met Prince Harry and his fiancée Meghan Markle as the couple made their first official joint visit to Scotland.
The Prince can be seen giving Cpl Cruachan a fond scratch as they are introduced at Edinburgh Castle, before turning to talk to the Shetland’s handler.
As he does so, he leaves a hand outstretched and the naughty Shetland can’t resist taking a sneaky swipe at his fingers.
Prince Harry and Ms. Markle are greeted on arrival at Edinburgh Castle by the Band of the Royal Marines and the mascot of The Royal Regiment of Scotland, Shetland pony Cruachan? pic.twitter.com/3nzR9W6ZP5
— Kensington Palace (@KensingtonRoyal) February 13, 2018
Ms Markle can’t contain her laughter as Prince Harry gives the pony a scratch on his nose in return.
The Shetland is the regimental mascot of the Royal Regiment of Scotland. He took over from the retiring Cruachan III in 2012 and has met with a number of royals and VIPs during his service.
His name — Cruachan— comes from the war cry of Clan Campbell and he leads the regiment on parade on formal occasions and represents the regiment at events across Scotland.
He leads the regiment on parade on formal occasions and represents the regiment at events across Scotland.
Article continues below…
You might also be interested in:
Cheeky Shetland takes a swipe at the Queen’s bouquet
The sharp-eyed Shetland mistook the flowers for a tasty snack and was firmly told to “go away” by the Queen,
Flower-stealing Shetland reunited with the Queen
The cheeky Shetland welcomed The Queen to Balmoral for the start of her annual summer holiday
Teddy the Shetland’s racing dreams come true in heartwarming video
The adorable Shetland takes a staring role in the short film as he imagines how it would feel to gallop
He leads the regiment on parade on formal occasions and represents the regiment at events across Scotland.
While taking part in his many engagements, the pony is — almost — always on his best behaviour.
However, Cpl Cruachan IV has form when it comes to nibbling royals — in July 2017 he took a swipe at a bunch of flowers held by The Queen as she visited Stirling Castle.
“I love the fact Her Majesty The Queen always brings me a treat,” he tweeted after the visit.
For all the latest news analysis, competition reports, interviews, features and much more, don’t miss Horse & Hound magazine, on sale every Thursday
