Canadian Prime Minister to meet Queen in Edinburgh

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is to meet the Queen in Edinburgh as part of a trip to recognise the "strong ties'' between his country and the UK.

Mr Trudeau is visiting Scotland on his way to the G20 summit in Hamburg, Germany, on July 7 and 8.

He met Irish Taoiseach Leo Varadkar for the first time on Tuesday and will have a private meeting with the Queen at the Palace of Holyroodhouse on Wednesday to ''honour her importance to Canada's history and to thank her for her continued dedication to Canada'', his office said.

The event comes as part of Holyrood week when the Queen and Duke of Edinburgh host a number of engagements in Scotland.

Scottish Paralympic gold medallists Gordon Reid, Jo Butterfield and Karen Darke were all made MBEs at an investiture ceremony at the palace on Tuesday and, before the meeting with Mr Trudeau, the Queen and Prince Philip will visit Stirling and Falkirk.

They will travel by boat to The Kelpies sculpture to unveil a plaque to name the Queen Elizabeth II Canal that runs through the Helix development.

At Stirling Castle, the royal couple will attend a thanksgiving service in the Chapel Royal before meeting supporters and staff involved in the redevelopment of the Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders Museum.

Mr Trudeau was accompanied on his trip to Ireland by his wife Sophie Gregoire Trudeau and their young son Hadrien.

His office said his visit to Ireland and the UK will ''serve to recognise the strong family ties, history and common purpose our countries share''.

Mr Trudeau, leader of the Liberal Party of Canada who was elected prime minister in 2015, said he is looking forward to his meeting with the Queen.

They met in London shortly after his election, but they also met when Mr Trudeau was a young boy and his father Pierre was Canada's PM.

Mr Trudeau said: ''Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II's commitment to public service has long inspired me and many other Canadians.

''With this year marking the 150th anniversary of Confederation, I look forward to thanking her personally for her dedication to our country and for carrying out her duties with such grace and strength.'