King wears new tartan and greets well-wishers in French on visit to Tomintoul in Scotland
The King met schoolchildren and chatted in French to some well-wishers as he visited the highest village in highland Scotland.
The King, who is on his summer break at the nearby Balmoral estate in Aberdeenshire, visited Tomintoul in the Cairngorms National Park and was welcomed by primary school children and community stalwarts.
He wore a kilt made from the King Charles III tartan, which was first seen in public a couple of weeks ago.
Villagers flocked to greet the King and the Dufftown Pipe Band performed in anticipation of his arrival.
Tomintoul, which dates from the 1750s, has a history of whisky production but faced economic downturn in the 2000s.
As a result, the community pulled together to access grant funding and to promote tourism in the region.
It now has 750 villagers – nearly twice the population in 2012 – after the community worked to address socio-economic problems including lack of development, an ageing population, and unaffordable housing.
The Glenlivet Development Trust was formed to address the economic problems and instigated a £3.3m energy-efficient housing development, the Auld School Close, on the site of a derelict school.
The King visited the site, which now has 12 affordable homes built on it, and met residents, conversing in French with some of them.
He was welcomed by local school and nursery pupils, who greeted him wearing homemade crowns and waving Scottish and British flags.
The King said to one of the children: “You have been busy making things.”
During a walkabout at the village green, an elderly man asked the King to wish his wife a happy birthday.
A woman shouted: “We love you King Charles”, and another woman showed him a blue manicure and asked: “Do you like my nails?”
Alasdair Sharp, 79, a member of the Glenlivet Development Trust board, wore a kilt for the visit of the King, whom he described as a neighbour.
Mr Sharp said: “It’s very good for the community that the King is visiting.
“He was at Braemar Games recently. To come to our little community is pretty important, we are neighbours.
“My family have lived here since 1910.
“There was a time after the war when there was two petrol stations, four pubs, six shops, but it’s all been taken over.
“It’s worked very well, we’ve pulled together, the affordable housing was a great success.
“We are now a Dark Sky Area, we are hoping to develop a camping and caravan site.
“It’s amazing how, if you know who to ask for grants, you can get them for worthwhile projects.”
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One year of King Charles III
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In 2017, the trust bought a former museum and turned it into the Tomintoul and Glenlivet Discovery Centre, and last year a Post Office was saved from closure.
The King was shown a coat believed to have belonged to an exciseman in the 1820s during the era of whisky smuggling and violent confrontations between customs officers and the illicit distilleries.
The coat, which has a high collar, deep cuffs and mother-of-pearl buttons, was found in the rafters of an old house in the village in 2003 and was thought to have been handed down to a servant.
The King was told about the history of the Tomintoul Coat, and heard how the Northern Lights had lit up the region on Tuesday night.
A man has been given a prison sentence over social media posts in relation to the Southport stabbings.
Geraint Boyce, 43, from Rhondda Cynon Taf, pleaded guilty to publishing threatening material intending to stir up religious hatred.
Boyce has been jailed for two years – he will serve half of that before he is released on licence.
The charge related to Facebook posts made by Boyce on 31 July during widespread disorder across the UK.
Riots followed the deaths of three girls who were allegedly stabbed at a Taylor Swift-themed dance class.
In August, the King visited the town after the deaths of Alice da Silva Aguiar, nine, Bebe King, six, and Elsie Dot Stancombe, seven.
Nearly 400 people have so far been jailed for offences relating to the disorder, the government has said.
Prosecuting barrister Alex Orndal told Merthyr Tydfil Crown Court that one post “showed an image of a mosque, with [Boyce’s] caption being, ‘No more mosques’.”
Within the comments section, he said mosques should be “burned down” with people inside.
He was arrested on 9 August and, while under caution, asked: “Is this because of the online stuff to do with the riots?”
The court heard the defendant was logged into the account from which the posts had been made at the time of his arrest.
In another post, he posted an image of a lion with the Union Jack and commented, “I’m ready for war”.
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In mitigation, defence barrister Nicholas Gedge said Boyce was “ashamed of what he did”.
“He held views at the time as a result of what he himself had seen online, unfortunately,” he added.
“He held, or was sympathetic to views, that were wrong, which he wholly recognises now.”
Mr Gedge added that the defendant “expresses through me, to this court, remorse for what he did, and I think remorse to society generally”.
“He really wants people to live peacefully together,” he added.
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Sentencing Boyce, Recorder of Cardiff Tracey Lloyd-Clarke said the posts showed his intention “was to incite serious violence”.
She noted that the offending took place “during a particularly sensitive social climate” and concluded that “appropriate punishment can only be achieved with immediate custody”.
UK
Kate meets families of Southport stabbing victims in first community visit since cancer diagnosis
The Princess of Wales has made a surprise visit to Southport with the Prince of Wales to meet the families of the three girls who died following the knife attack this summer.
It is a rare public appearance by the princess – her first community visit since the end of last year, her first since her cancer diagnosis and the end of her chemotherapy.
On Wednesday, it was confirmed to the media that Prince William would be making the trip to Southport, but just ahead of his arrival on Thursday it was announced that Kate had also decided to join her husband.
In private they met the families of six-year-old Bebe King, seven-year-old Elsie Dot Stancombe and nine-year-old Alice da Silva Aguiar, who died as a result of the attack at The Hart Space community centre in July.
A Taylor Swift yoga and dance workshop aimed at primary school children in Year 2 to Year 6 was taking place at the time of the attack. Eight other children and two adults were also injured.
The royal couple also met one of the dance teachers who was leading the session.
Victims Elsie Dot Stancombe, Alice Dasilva Aguiar and Bebe King.
Pic: Merseyside Police
It is understood William and Kate wanted to visit now to show their ongoing support for the families, the community and the first responders who attended the scene and the subsequent riots.
They met up with those members of the 999 services to hear their recollections of the day and spoke to police, ambulance and fire chiefs about the ongoing mental health support for staff.
Following the attack, the prince and princess issued a statement saying: “As parents, we cannot begin to imagine what the families, friends and loved ones of those killed and injured in Southport today are going through.
“We send our love, thoughts and prayers to all those involved in this horrid and heinous attack.”
Through their Royal Foundation they also made a donation to the National Police Wellbeing Service’s fundraiser to help fast track psychological and physical rehab for police and ambulance personnel.
In August, the King met with some of the children who survived the attack and thanked members of the community for their bravery and spirit.
Axel Rudakubana, who was 17 years old at the time and has now turned 18, has been charged with murder and attempted murder.
The visit comes after the princess announced in March that she had been diagnosed with cancer.
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In a video in September, she confirmed she had finished her preventative chemotherapy, and while she would begin doing more work, she would only be carrying out light public duties as she continues her recovery.
Last week, she was photographed hugging teenage cancer patient Liz Hatton, and this year she has attended more formal and family events such as Wimbledon and Trooping the Colour.
But this trip to Southport is her first community visit meeting members of the public with her husband since the end of 2023.
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