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British RoyalsPrince PhilipQueen Elizabeth II

Prince Philip heads back to work with joint engagement at Falkirk and Stirling

Following his recent hospitalisation, a number of new engagements have been announced for His Royal Highness the Duke of Edinburgh, including a Garden Party at the Palace of Holyroodhouse on 4 July in Edinburgh and a joint engagement with Her Majesty The Queen at Falkirk and Stirling on 5 July.

The Queen and Prince Philip will board the Seagull Trust boat ‘The Wooden Spoon’ at the Sea Lock of Queen Elizabeth II Canal before leading a flotilla along the canal to the Kelpies sculptures. Her Majesty and His Royal Highness will be welcomed on board The Wooden Spoon by the Lord Lieutenant of Stirling, Mr Alan Simpson, the Chairman of Scottish Canals, Mr Andrew Thin and the Chief Executive of Scottish Canals, Mr Steve Dunlop.

After arriving at the Kelpies, the Royals will have an opportunity to meet Kelpies sculptor, Mr Andy Scott as well as local civil representatives, staff and volunteers. Mr Scott will escort The Queen and Prince Philip into the ‘head down’ Kelpie so that they can see the complexity of the engineering involved in the sculpture’s construction. The Queen will also unveil a plaque to formally name the new section of the Queen Elizabeth II Canal.

The Queen Elizabeth II Canal links the Forth and Clyde Canal, and its construction demanded innovative engineering solutions to create the world-class marine hub into and out of Scotland for sailors arriving from across Northern Europe.

Scotland’s newest canal section was built as part of the £43 million Helix project, which includes the 30-metre high Kelpies sculptures. The Helix opened in April 2014 and transformed 350 hectares of underused land between Falkirk and Grangemouth into parkland and a new eastern gateway to Scotland’s waterways. Since opening more than 2.5 million people have visited, boosting the local economy and renewing vibrancy in the area.

The Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh will then travel to Stirling Castle where they will attend a 70th Anniversary Thanksgiving service in the Chapel Royal to mark 70 years since Her Majesty, then Princess Elizabeth became Colonel-in-Chief of the Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders.

The service will be followed by a visit to the newly redeveloped Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders Museum and a private luncheon.

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