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LONDON (AP) — King Charles III and his wife, Queen Camilla, visited Scotland on Monday for their first joint public engagement in honor of Queen Elizabeth II since the end of a royal mourning period.
Hundreds of people turned up on the streets of Dunfermline, Fife, north of Edinburgh, hoping to catch a glimpse of the new monarch. Charles wore a kilt for the visit after greeting Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon and other leaders and took time to shake hands with well-wishers.
The royal couple’s visit was to formally grant the city of Dunfermline, the birthplace of another king, Charles I: Charles I, who reigned in the 17th century before his execution, was the last Scottish-born British monarch.
Dunfermline was one of eight towns to receive city status as part of the Platinum Jubilee celebrations earlier this year to mark Elizabeth’s 70th anniversary.
“There is no better way to honor my dear mother’s extraordinary career of service than to give this honor to a place known for its long and distinguished history and the integral role it has played in the life of our country, Charles said in his speech.
“We have come together to celebrate this great occasion, but also to honour the life of Her Majesty the Queen, whose deep love for Scotland was one of the foundations of her life,” he added.
Later on Monday, Charles and Camilla will host a reception for around 300 guests in Edinburgh to celebrate the British South Asian community.Royals will meet British Indians, Pakistanis and many others and pay tribute to their contributions to Britain
Charles, now 73, became monarch immediately after his mother Elizabeth died at Balmoral Castle in Scotland on September 9. 8. Britain held a 10-day national mourning period, while the royal family extended the mourning period by a week after the Queen’s funeral on September 9. 19.