Prince William and Duchess Kate are going to Scotland! The Duke of Cambridge will take the trip as part of his role as Lord High Commissioner to the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland. He will be in Scotland from May 21-27, and Kate will join him for part of the tour.
According to Kensington Palace, the tour will cover a range of topics. The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge will thank NHS staff and other front-line workers for their efforts during COVID-19. Additionally, they will meet with organizations and charities who are assisting with the environment, mental health, addiction and homelessness.
The tour will take the couple to Edinburgh and Fife and on their first official visit to Orkney, an archipelago off the northeastern coast of Scotland. Another highlight will be when the couple go to the University of St Andrews, where they first met nearly 20 years ago at university. The Cambridges will meet with students at the school to hear how they have been impacted by COVID-19.
Another exciting event: The Duke of Cambridge will invite NHS staff to Holyrood Palace in Edinburgh for a special drive-in screening of Disney's Cruella. He will also host an event for emergency responders to watch the Scottish Cup final at a rooftop bar.
William will have the opportunity to hear how Fields in Trust is creating green spaces. The duke's late grandfather, Prince Philip, was president of the charity before he passed the role on to William.
"The Duke is honoured to be fulfilling the role of Lord High Commissioner to the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland this year," a spokesperson for Kensington Palace said of the tour.
Kate in the kitchen of the Social Bite cafe in Aberdeen with founder Alice Thompson back in February 2020. Photo: © ANDREW MILLIGAN/POOL/AFP via Getty Images
"Both he and The Duchess are very much looking forward to spending time in Scotland, hearing from a wide range of people on the issues they care about, and celebrating individuals who have gone above and beyond to support their communities over the past year."
The Scottish tour was announced when Prince Charles and the Duchess of Cornwall were on their tour of Northern Ireland. The Prince of Wales and his wife are on a two-day tour of the country this week.
The news of William and Kate's tour comes at the same time the duke revealed he received his first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine. The dad of three shared the news, along with a photo, on May 20.
MORE: Prince William shares photo as he receives first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine
The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge were last in Scotland for their royal train tour in December 2020. The whirlwind tour saw the couple take Her Majesty's royal train around England, Scotland and Wales to pay tribute and to hear more stories about how people were impacted by the coronavirus pandemic.
William and Kate disembark the Royal Train as they arrive at Edinburgh Waverley station during their royal train tour in December 2020. Photo: © ANDY BARR/POOL/AFP via Getty Images
Kate had visited Aberdeen in February 2020 during her 24-hour tour of the United Kingdom to launch "the 5 big questions on the under 5's" survey with the Early Years Foundation. The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge were in Dundee (seen top) in January 2019 for the opening of the V&A Dundee.
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