The King has praised the efforts of those working in renewable energy as making an “enormous difference to our energy future” on a visit to Aberdeenshire.
Charles arrived at Peterhead Port on Tuesday morning, where he met a number of people and organisations involved in the area’s energy ecosystem.
While unveiling a plaque to commemorate his visit, he said: “I’m sorry it’s taken so long to turn up here. I’m delighted.
“I don’t know where this plaque’s going to end up, but anyway, nothing could give me greater pleasure, having met so many of you this morning, and I’m very grateful to you for all appearing and helping to tell me all about your plans for all this development in the area.
“It’s fantastic to see such a remarkable effort in teamwork and co-ordination, which, I doubt I shall be still alive by the time you complete it all.
“I’m sure it will make an enormous difference to our energy future.”
Much of Scotland’s offshore renewable energy industry is based around Aberdeen, which is also home to the North Sea oil and gas industry.
On the quay at Peterhead, the King met local members of the energy supply chain, including the Peterhead Energy Transition Forum.
He also met representatives of Maritime Developments Ltd, a three-time recipient of the King’s Award for Enterprise.
The company offers low-emission alternatives to traditional offshore energy equipment.
While meeting officials from Peterhead Port Authority, Charles was gifted two books on the ties between the Edinburgh merchant company and Peterhead.
Harbour master Ewan Rattray said: “The port’s got a long kind of varying history, and the Princess Royal was the patron and chair of the Edinburgh Merchant Company, which used to own the land at the port here, so to have a royal visit is fantastic.”
Charles also met Peterhead Academy pupils Ellie Hood, 16, and Liam John Hepburn, 17.
Miss Hood said she was not told who was visiting until the event itself, adding she was “shocked” to discover it was the King.
“We knew there was someone coming, but we didn’t know who it was until we got here,” she said.
“He’s very nice, asking what we want to do in school (and) what our jobs are in school classes.”
School headteacher Gerry McCluskey said the visit was “humbling”.
He continued: “What I said to him was I’m very lucky. I work for the most important people in our community every day, and I actually joked with him – I said, I’m one of the few people that enjoy their job a little bit like yourself, and he laughed, so that was nice.”
He said it was a “phenomenal” experience for the pupils to meet Charles.
The visit came amid controversy over the release of the Earl of Spencer’s new book about his late sister Diana, Princess of Wales.
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