King Charles and Queen Camilla's first official visit to the Scottish Borders - more details revealed
Last updated 5th Jul 2023
Excitement's building in the Borders ahead of the King and Queen's first official public engagement in the region.
The Royals will visit The Great Tapestry of Scotland in Galashiels tomorrow (Thursday) morning before being taken on a tour of Lochcarron of Scotland's mill in Selkirk.
That will be followed by a lunchtime walkabout in the town's Market Place, where they will meet local business owners.
King Charles and Queen Camilla will also be treated to a special performance of the Casting of the Colours ceremony - one of the highlights of the town's Common Riding.
It commemorates the return of a single surviving soldier after the Battle of Flodden in 1513. Selkirk was later granted its Royal Burgh status by King James V in recognition of the role it played.
Click on the link below to look back on the casting at last month's Common Riding...
Looking forward to the visit, Selkirk Standard Bearer Thomas Bell told Greatest Hits Radio: "I'm feeling really privileged and honoured to be casting the flag for the King and Queen; I'm getting really excited for it.
"I really hope that they enjoy it, I'm sure they will. I think it's going to be a great day for the town to show off part of our ancient traditions, and maybe get it out to a wider audience, because it really is a spectacle and an amazing thing to see."
The visit is part of a series of events taking place in Scotland this week to celebrate the Monarchs coronation.
It's unclear how they will be arriving in the Borders, but the car park at Netherdale is closed to the public for most of the day.
A number of road closures are also in place in the centre of Galashiels between 10am and 12.30pm on July 6th, and in Selkirk between 12.30pm and 2pm. A full list is available here.
King Charles and Queen Camilla will be greeted on arrival by The Lord-Lieutenant of Roxburgh, Ettrick and Lauderdale, the Duke of Buccleuch.
During their visit to the Great Tapestry of Scotland visitor centre in Galashiels (pictured), they will meet some of the people involved in what's being described as "one of the world’s largest community arts projects", including author Alexander McCall Smith, who came up with the idea for the tapestry and historian Alistair Moffat, who decided which episodes in Scottish history would feature.
And the former Duchess of Cornwall - who was forced to cancel her visit to the attraction last September when the late Queen Elizabeth II died - will also be invited to add the final stitch to a new panel to celebrate the tapestry's tenth anniversary.
The public are also being offered free entry between 1pm and 5pm to view the specially-designed panel.
The visit comes a day after King Charles and Queen Camilla attended a national service of thanksgiving at St Giles' Cathedral in Edinburgh.
A spokesperson for Lochcarron of Scotland - which is producing the official tartan for this summer's UCI Cycling World Championships - added: "We look forward to Their Majesties touring our mill and sharing news of our work with British & Scottish wool as we progress with our ethical and sustainable journey and our support of British Wool growers."
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