King Charles IIIandQueen Camillaare out together for the first time since the funeral ofQueen Elizabeth II.
With Charles sporting a kilt and Camilla wearing a coordinating green coat, the royal couple took part in their first joint public duties since Sept. 19 when they headed to a historic spot in Scotland on Monday.
It’s also the burial place of former Scottish kings and queens, including Robert the Bruce.
The couple began their visit in the chamber room at the City Chambers, where formally city status was formally conferred and he made a short address.
King Charles and Camilla in Scotland.Stuart Wallace/Shutterstock
The King reminded those present that his mother’s “deep love for Scotland was one of the foundations of her life.”
King Charles in Dunfermline.ANDREW MILLIGAN/POOL/AFP via Getty Images
He added, “From early times, Dunfermline has been of immense significance to Scotland’s — and to this whole island’s — story. It is the birthplace of philanthropists. It is the burial place of kings and queens. It has been the scene of events, both secular and sacred, which have shaped our times. Its stones tell the story of the people and the events which have made our country what it is today.”
ANDREW MILLIGAN/POOL/AFP via Getty Images
“It is also, of course, a community,” King Charles continued. “And it is my hope that all those who live in, or who hail from, this very special place, will feel a real sense of pride at this latest chapter in our rich history, and that this new distinction will not merely burnish the legacy of the past but will also brighten the prospect of our future.”
He concluded, “That would, I know, gladden my dear mother’s heart, as it certainly gladdens mine. As you celebrate your well-deserved status as Scotland’s new city, I can only offer my warmest congratulations, and my heartfelt wishes for the years to come.”
Stuart Wallace/Shutterstock
The couple then took a short walk to the city’s Abbey, which is marking its 950th anniversary. There, experts from Historic Scotland told them about the ongoing conservation of the site. The Abbey is a symbol of an ancient seat of royal power as Margaret of Wessex, who married King Malcolm III in 1057, became the country’s first female saint and attracted pilgrims to the area. It is at the Abbey that kings and queens, including Robert the Bruce, are buried.
Charles’s late motherQueen Elizabethvisited the Abbey to mark its 900th year, the palace said on Monday.
Andrew Milligan - WPA Pool/Getty Images
Later on Monday, the couple is expected to host a reception for British South Asian communities at the monarchy’s Edinburgh palace, Holyroodhouse.
Queen Camilla, King Charles, Prince William and Kate Middleton.Chris Jackson/Getty
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Over the weekend, it emerged that Charles, who has been a consistent environmental campaigner for more than 50 years, will not attend the multi-national climate change conference, COP27, in Egypt next month. It follows the change at the top of the U.K. government, with new Prime Minister Liz Truss, on whose advice he must operate now as King.
source: people.com
