Wills: Our Love for Scots
Royal couple end week-long tour with heartfelt tribute to ‘vibrant and friendly’ nation
PRINCE William last night spoke of his love for Scotland at the end of a week-long visit.
The Duke of Cambridge said the country was ‘important’ to him and the Duchess, and that it had ‘shaped’ him as a person.
He also praised the Scottish people for making it such a ‘vibrant, friendly, innovative and determined place’.
William and Kate were welcomed by dozens of fans waiting outside to catch a glimpse of the couple as they arrived at the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland last night in Edinburgh.
The Prince gave a speech to the quieter than usual hall as Covid restrictions limited the numbers.
In it, he praised the work that the Kirk was doing during the pandemic, including providing church services online and offering pastoral visits to neighbours to help with shopping or collecting prescriptions.
He said the support by parishes of their local foodbanks had also proved that, even in a pandemic, ‘we need not be alone’.
The Prince also gave a special mention to NHS staff he had met at a drive-in cinema on Wednesday night at the Palace of Holyroodhouse.
He said: ‘The NHS staff who we met at the drive-in cinema last night at Holyroodhouse – their dedication, commitment and personal sacrifice is truly extraordinary.
‘These people make Scotland the vibrant, friendly, innovative and determined place Catherine and I love, and is so important to us. I am shaped by this place. The abiding affection I feel for it is rooted in my experience of its everyday life – in people, relationships and its ethic of neighbourliness.’
‘To the people of Scotland who have afforded us such a warm welcome. See you soon.’
William, on his penultimate engagement in the capital before returning south, made a special mention of some of the people he had met during his thank-you tour.
He said: ‘As Catherine and I travelled around Scotland and met Scots of all faiths and none, we saw how much work is being done. The football fan who told
me, whilst keeping one eye on the Scottish Cup Final, that he was pulled back from the brink of suicide by a trusted friend who was there for him in his time of need.
‘Betty, the 96-year-old star of the show at Queen’s Bay Lodge, who is full of beans despite the horrid year she’s had. Betty’s certainly got my number!
‘Brave Mila, 91 years Betty’s junior and a star of Hold Still, who Catherine was thrilled to meet in person.
‘Jordan, the inspirational Founder of Heavy Sound in East Lothian, who has used his own difficult experiences to give back to vulnerable young people through music, sport and art.
‘The students of St Andrews, who struck us by the innovative ways they had come together to support each other and build relationships through finding common ground across different faiths, cultures and backgrounds. And, by how much younger they looked than us! It was wonderful to be back in St Andrews and walk down memory lane together.’
The Duke said the past year had seen communities across the UK experience profound loss, challenge and change. But he said they had found support in the values of comthe
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munity which might previously have been taken for granted. He added: ‘These values provide us with the strength and ingenuity to adapt and meet the challenges we face, now and ahead. ‘And that is why I believe we can be confident about the future. A future embracing change, yet holding those values close.’ After his speech, Duke and Duchess made their way from the main chamber of the Assembly Hall to be clapped out, a tradition normally reserved for the Moderator and commissioner.
Prince William had been appointed the Lord High Commissioner to the 2021 General Assembly by the Queen.
The Prince will now report back to Her Majesty on the proceedings undertaken at the General Assembly over the past week.
Meanwhile, last night it was disclosed that the Prince met Gordon Brown at Holyrood – only weeks after the ex-prime minister launched a pro-Union campaign group.
The pair met yesterday along with the Duchess and Sarah Brown. n William and Kate stopped off for a takeaway dinner at a chip shop they frequented as students.
At Anstruther Fish Bar, in Fife, the couple ordered a £7.95 haddock supper which they ate on a bench on the pier, followed by ice cream. Kate told takeaway staff their visit was a ‘trip down memory lane’.