Duchess Kate and Prince William visited Dundee, Scotland, on Tuesday – just 15 miles north of the university town of St. Andrews where they first met and fell in love.
The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge – who first met and graduated from University of St. Andrews in 2005 – visited Dundee to officially open the Victoria and Albert Museum before meeting locals on the seafront, which has undergone a US$1.3 billion redevelopment.
Wrapped up warm in chilly 2°C temperatures, Duchess Kate wore a tartan Alexander McQueen coat and green scarf, as she joined her husband for their first joint engagement of the year.
The Duchess made the visit to the art museum in her role as patron of the V&A. She gave a short speech celebrating the opening of the V&A Dundee – an institution that offers world-class art and design to locals.
“Last February, I was delighted to be asked to be the V&A’s Patron,” said Duchess Kate. “Now, nearly a year later, I’m thrilled to be standing in a brand new V&A, one which has been built for the city of Dundee and for Scotland.”
“The V&A has shown what can be achieved when an organisation really thinks about how it can serve people in all communities across our country. I hope that V&A Dundee will serve as an inspiration to others by showing how great things can be achieved when different communities pull together and work for the common good.”
Kensington Palace said the visit would build on Kate’s keen interest in the visual arts, and highlighting the value that public institutions like V&A Dundee can offer local communities, particularly in terms of increased accessibility to world-class art and design.
The royal couple then headed to the Crescent Community Centre, where they met Michelin factory workers to talk about efforts to find new opportunities for employees following the factory’s planned closure. William is set to thank workers and their families at the Michelin Action Group to help ease the loss of the factory and find new, sustainable opportunities.
