King Charles III today paid a moving tribute to his late mother in his first public engagement with his wife since the Queen’s death.
His Majesty and Queen Consort Camilla officially bestowed Dunfermline with city status as part of the celebrations of Her Majesty’s Platinum Jubilee – and the monarch said the event would “gladden the heart of my dear mother, as it surely gladdens mine.”
Charles and Camilla were greeted in Fife by community groups including a local pipe band and school children – with the King and his wife stopping to speak to the crowd and shake hands with them.
Thousands gathered in Dunfermline to see the royal couple and other VIPs, including First Minister Nicola Sturgeon, who was greeted with cheers and boos. But there was clapping and shouts of “God save the King” as Charles arrived in a blue tartan kilt.
His Majesty and his wife attended an official council meeting in the City Chambers, at which the King officially marked the granting of city status to Dunfermline and made a short speech. It is their first public engagement together since the royal mourning ended last Tuesday.
At the ceremony, the king said he was “delighted” when it was announced that the city would become a city. He said he hopes people will feel “a real pride in this new chapter.”
He said: ‘That would, I know, gladden my dear mother’s heart, as it will surely gladden mine. As you celebrate your well-deserved status as Scotland’s new city, I can only offer you my heartiest congratulations and my heartfelt wishes for the years to come.’
He added: “I was delighted when it was announced in May this year that Dunfermline was one of eight parishes to be granted town status to commemorate the late Queen’s Platinum Jubilee. There could be no more fitting way to recognize my beloved mother’s exceptional life of service than to pay this honor to a place made famous by its own long and distinguished history and by the vital role it has played in the life of our country .
“Now we gather, of course, to celebrate this great occasion, but also to commemorate the life of Her late Majesty, whose deep love for Scotland was one of the foundations of her life.”
After the ceremony, they visited Dunfermline Abbey to mark its 950th anniversary and met with representatives from Historic Scotland to learn more about the area’s history and the site’s conservation. The Abbey is the burial place of Robert The Bruce and other Scottish royalty.
King Charles III arrives for an official council meeting at the City Chambers in Dunfermline, Fife, to officially bestow city status on the former town
King Charles III greets members of the public who cheered his arrival
King Charles and Queen Camilla wave at an official ceremony to mark Dunfermline as a town
Charles used his speech to explain: “We gather to celebrate this great occasion but also to commemorate the life of Her late Majesty, whose deep love for Scotland was one of the foundations of her life.”
The letter patent certifying Dunfermline officially gave town status
The King: “There could be no more fitting way to recognize my beloved mother’s extraordinary life of service than to pay this honor to a place distinguished by its own long and distinguished history and by the indispensable role it has played in the life of the city , our country has become famous.” pic.twitter.com/lIGSDroz38
— Lizzie Robinson (@LizzieITV) October 3, 2022
First Minister Nicola Sturgeon is greeted by Lord Provost of Dunfermline Jim Leishman as she arrives at the City Chambers in Dunfermline. There were cheers and boos
School children await the arrival of King Charles and Queen Consort Camilla
Children are lifted onto their parents’ shoulders as they watch the celebrations in Dunfermline
After leaving the Dunfermline Town Apartments, the royal couple shook hands with the well-wishers who had gathered outside and proceeded to Dunfermline Abbey where the royal couple saw the resting place of Robert the Bruce.
Eight locations have gained city status as part of the late monarch’s platinum jubilee celebrations.
Dunfermline’s bid for status was based on its heritage and historical status as the ancient seat of royal power, but also as one of the fastest growing cities in Europe.
The King and his wife will also host a reception at the Palace of Holyroodhouse in Edinburgh on Monday to celebrate Britain’s South Asian communities.
They will join between 200 and 300 guests from across the UK who are of British Indian, Pakistani, Bangladeshi, Sri Lankan, Nepalese, Bhutanese and Maldivian descent.
The event will recognize the contributions made by many from these communities to the National Health Service, the arts, media, education, business and the armed forces.
Charles will also hold an investiture ceremony for a small group of local people, his first as king.
It came amid claims King Charles III will not be attending the Cop27 climate summit after Liz Truss told him to stay away.
The monarch was reportedly planning to deliver a speech at the meeting of world leaders in Sharm El Sheikh, Egypt, in November.
But the Prime Minister, who will also not attend, contradicted his plans during an audience at Buckingham Palace last month.
There are growing suspicions that the government plans to water down or even abandon its target of “net-zero” carbon emissions by 2050. The palace said the king sought advice and was given by Miss Truss. “In mutual friendship and respect, it has been agreed that the king will not attend,” the palace said.
But the decision is likely to have disappointed the King, who as Prince of Wales has long campaigned to reduce the impact of climate change. As heir to the throne, he also had a reputation for meddling in government affairs, most recently expressing his dislike of the government’s plan to send illegal immigrants to Rwanda.
After his mother’s death, friends insisted he didn’t cool down on the subject of global warming.
King Charles III and Queen Consort Camilla hold their first public engagement together since the end of royal mourning
Britain’s King Charles III and Britain’s Camilla, Queen Consort greet the public
The King and Queen Consort officially marks the granting of city status to the former city
The King was greeted by whistles on St Catherine’s Wynd as the monarch arrived to bestow city status on Dunfermline
Dunfermline Abbey before the arrival of King Charles III
But as monarch he is obliged to remain politically neutral, and in his address to the nation after the Queen’s death, he acknowledged that “it will no longer be possible to devote so much time to … issues that are so dear to me.” hearts lie’.
Ahead of his accession to the throne last month, King Charles had hinted that he would be attending the 27th UN Climate Change Conference, known as Cop27, which will take place from November 6-18.
A source told the Chron that although he has attended before, there have never been any firm plans for the king’s departure, leading to speculation he would return this year. As all foreign visits are at the request of the British government, the palace has been asked for advice.
The ‘unanimous’ decision, it was suggested, is that with so many calls for the King to go abroad, Cop27 would not be the ‘right opportunity’ for his first foreign visit as sovereign.
Sources highlighted his address to the nation following the death of his mother, in which he emphasized that he was “always aware” of his constitutional role given his changing circumstances.
As highlighted in the Mail, the environment is expected to remain the focus of his work as Sovereign.
In 2015 he gave the opening speech at Cop21 in Paris and described climate change as the greatest threat facing humanity.
In a sharp speech, the King reiterated Winston Churchill in urging “the few” to take action to save the planet and urging world leaders to allocate “trillions, not billions, of dollars.”
He also gave a speech at the Cop26 opening ceremony in Glasgow last year, urging world leaders to adopt a “belligerent stance” in dealing with climate change. While he won’t be attending Cop27 in person, it’s understood he’s nonetheless determined to make his presence felt and leave the door open to a virtual appearance.
Conservative MP Tobias Ellwood said in a tweet he hoped the king would be allowed to travel to Egypt, adding that he was a “world-respected voice” on the environment whose presence would give the UK delegation “serious authority”.
While Boris Johnson became an enthusiastic advocate of net zero, Miss Truss is seen as more skeptical of the green agenda.
A Government source said: “The Palace and the Government have considered separately and then collectively agreed that … he will not participate in Cop.”