Prince Edward carried out a royal engagement today and royal fans all had one thing to say.
The Duke of Edinburgh attended a service where Scotland’s first autonomous minehunting “mothership” was officially welcomed into its fleet.
The 6,000-tonne Royal Fleet Auxiliary (RFA) Stirling Castle – which is said to “further safeguard the UK’s minehunting capabilities” – was dedicated while docked at Forth Ports in Leith, Edinburgh this morning (April 11).
The vessel, which was formerly known as the MV Island Crown, underwent conversion at HM Naval Base Devonport to become the mothership it is today.
Edward, in uniform, was welcomed by crew members and dignitaries as he boarded the ship with a salute before the dedication ceremony began.
The ship’s commanding officer, Captain Duncan Vernoum, said the vessel is a “completely different concept”, and is the “first RFA in Scotland of its kind”.
He added: “We are the first (ship) that’s dedicated to actually supporting in a minehunting capacity”.
Royal fans were impressed with the duke’s appearance and took to social media to comment on how well he looked.
One user wrote on X: “I love the Royal Naval uniform (possibly because my father was in the RN, so I was around sailors from an early age). Just thought I’d post that bit of uninteresting information. He [Prince Edward] looks good!”
Another one said: “Prince Edward looks really good nowadays.”
A third one agreed: “He does and he (and Sophie) seems so happy.”
A fourth one commented: “He is looking much much better and seems to have regained some weight.”
Lastly, a fifth one chimed: “Good to see the DoE looking so well. I was worried about him last year.”
