Prince William, the Earl of Strathearn, arrived in Scotland on Friday. He was there throughout the weekend solo, and Kate will join him on Monday. These photos are just from some of his solo events on Friday and Saturday, like his formal welcome as Lord High Commissioner in the Ceremony of the Keys at Holyroodhouse, complete with some kind of troop inspection or something. He also visited Spartan’s FC to highlight mental health, and that somehow involved William hanging out with football players and kicking around the ball (“mental health”). On Saturday, William acted as Lord High Commissioner to the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland for the opening of the General Assembly. It’s an annual thing with a revolving list of Windsors asked to do it every year. This is weirdly William’s first time as the Lord High Commissioner even though he’s nearly 39 years old and will one day be the head of the Church of England and be the state of state of the UK. Willingham gave a lil’ speech:

“Her Majesty The Queen has asked me to come here in person to reassure you of Her pledge to preserve and uphold the rights and privileges of the Church of Scotland,” he said at the start of a lengthy speech, noting that “one day, it will be my responsibility to swear my own oath to maintain and preserve the security and independence of the Church of Scotland.”

“My appointment is therefore both a great honour, and a humbling opportunity. It is my duty today to speak, but equally I am here to listen. In Scotland this week I will have my eyes and ears permanently open. There’s so much to see and to hear about,” he added.

During the speech, William, 38, also spoke about his personal connection to Scotland, sharing stories about his wife Kate Middleton as well as his late mother Princess Diana.

“Along with listening this week, there is something I do want to tell you. Scotland is incredibly important to me and will always have a special place in my heart. I’ve been coming to Scotland since I was a small boy,” he said. “Scotland is the source of some of my happiest memories. But also, my saddest.” As his speech continued, William shared that he was at the Balmoral “when I was told that my mother had died. Still in shock, I found sanctuary in the service at Crathie Kirk that very morning. And in the dark days of grief that followed, I found comfort and solace in the Scottish outdoors. As a result, the connection I feel to Scotland will forever run deep,” he said.

“And yet alongside this painful memory, is one of great joy. Because it was here in Scotland – twenty years ago this year – that I first met Catherine. Needless to say, the town where you meet your future wife holds a very special place in your heart,” he added. “George, Charlotte and Louis already know how dear Scotland is to both of us, and they are starting to build their own happy memories here too. We have no doubt they will grow up sharing our love and connection to Scotland from the Highlands to the Central Belt, from the Islands to the Borders.”

[From People]

It’s weird because I thought we had established that Kate and William met before St. Andrew’s? While they “fell in love” in Scotland and really got to know each other in Scotland, it’s not where they first met? Or maybe he’s always forgotten meeting Kate pre-university, when she must have been desperately trying to throw herself in his path for years. Perhaps they really did meet at uni and Kate’s attempts at throwing herself in William’s path were always unsuccessful pre-uni.

As for what he says about his mother… it’s strange because of his elegance, and because his elegance was used as a cudgel against Harry. Meaning, Harry is still being ripped apart for “talking about Diana” and those royal commentators were like “see how William never talks about Diana, that’s the healthy and elegant way to do it.” And now William is suddenly referencing his mum yet again. Anyway, I’ve always wondered how he really feels about Balmoral and that odd, crushing, grief-stricken week he and Harry spent there following Diana’s death. It’s also odd that William made a reference to finding “sanctuary in the service at Crathie Kirk that very morning” because the Queen asked that no references be made to Diana’s passing at the service. Harry was so reportedly so bewildered by the lack of public grief in church that he asked if his mum was really dead.

The clenched jaw and tightly balled fists were an interesting choice for church.

Photos courtesy of Avalon Red.