Video: Queen and Duke visit Highland Games The event is held each year a short distance from the royals' summer retreat on the Balmoral estate. The Queen is patron of the Games and joined thousands of spectators in patchy weather to cheer on participants in the tossing of the caber and tug of war contests. The Queen wore a pale pink coat and matching hat, and as she took her seat in the royal pavilion placed a tartan rug over her lap. Held at the Princess Royal and Duke of Fife Memorial Park, the Games take place on the first Saturday of every September and attract visitors from around the world. Queen Victoria first attended the Braemar Gathering in 1848. Since then it has been regularly visited by the reigning monarch and other members of the Royal Family.