King Charles III and Camilla, the Queen Consort, have travelled to a Scottish town with a rich royal history to honour one of Queen Elizabeth II’s final wishes.
In their first joint engagement since the end of the official mourning period, King Charles and Camilla travelled to Dunfermline, north of the Scottish capital of Edinburgh, where the monarch made an emotional tribute to his mother.
Just months before her death, the Queen personally chose to bestow city status on Dunfermline – a wish the King honoured on Monday.
During his speech at the Dunfermline City Chambers, King Charles said the historical moment would “gladden my dear mother’s heart, as it certainly gladdens mine”.
“My wife and I are immensely proud to be able to share this historic moment with you,” he said, adding that the Queen’s “deep love for Scotland was one of the foundations of her life”.
“There could be no more fitting way to mark my beloved mother’s extraordinary life of service than by granting this honour to a place made famous by its own long and distinguished history, and by the indispensable role it has played in the life of our country.”
Dunfermline was one of eight towns that were granted ‘city’ status by the Queen as part of her Platinum Jubilee celebrations earlier this year.
The town was chosen for its community associations and royal history, including being the burial place of Robert the Bruce and holding the title of Scotland’s capital from the 11th century until 1437.
The old silk mill in Dunfermline was also the source of silks used in the Queen’s gowns for her wedding and coronation.
For Monday’s historic events, which saw hundreds of people lining the streets to see King Charles and Camilla, the King wore a kilt made from Old Stewart Tartan.
After the formalities concluded, the ruling couple walked to Dunfermline Abbey to mark its 950th anniversary – an act the Queen engaged in 50 years ago for the abbey’s 900th anniversary.
King Charles and Camilla then ended the day in Edinburgh, hosting a reception at the Palace of Holyroodhouse to celebrate British South Asian communities.
Image: Getty Images
This article first appeared on OverSixty.