The King and Queen Consort are due to visit Dunfermline and Edinburgh in their first joint public engagements since the Queen’s funeral. They will visit Dunfermline Abbey to mark the former town’s new status as Scotland’s eighth city. Charles and Camilla will also attend a council meeting at the City Chambers. The King and his wife will then host a reception at Edinburgh’s Palace of Holyroodhouse, to celebrate British South Asian communities. The late Queen Elizabeth previously visited Dunfermline Abbey to mark its 900th anniversary and this year it is celebrating its 950th anniversary.
Royal mourning ended last Tuesday and Scotland has since seen the Prince and Princess of Wales visit for the first time since taking up their news titles. King Charles and Camilla attended church at Crathie Kirk, near Balmoral, last Sunday as they were seen in public for the first time since the late monarch’s funeral.
Dunfermline’s regal past
Eight places in the UK were made cities as part of platinum jubilee celebrations marking the 70-year reign of the late Queen Elizabeth. Dunfermline’s bid was based on its historic status after King Malcolm III established its ancient seat in 1057. He married Margaret of Wessex, who was later canonised as a saint and considered a religious and cultural pioneer. She brought Benedictine monks to Scotland and introduced cultural innovations from the Courts of Europe. As Scotland’s only female saint, she attracted pilgrims from all over the world, leading to the building of Dunfermline Abbey.
The couple will be welcomed on their visit to Dunfermline by community groups, including a pipe band and local schoolchildren. King Charles will formally mark the conferral of city status and make a short speech in the chamber room. He will also meet the Lord Lieutenant of Fife, Robert Balfour, who will introduce Scotland’s First Minister Nicola Sturgeon and Scottish Secretary Alister Jack. After the ceremony, Charles and Camilla will take a short walk to Dunfermline Abbey to formally mark its 950th anniversary.
Palace reception
They will be introduced to representatives from Historic Scotland and learn about the heritage of the local area and the conservation of the site. The King and Queen Consort will later host a reception in the great gallery at the Palace of Holyroodhouse. They will meet between 200 and 300 guests of British Indian, Pakistani, Bangladeshi, Sri Lankan, Nepalese, Bhutanese and Maldivian heritage from across the UK. The event will recognise the contribution many from these communities have made to UK life, from the National Health Service to the arts, media, education, business and the armed forces.
