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Royals brave torrential downpours as Holyrood Week continues

PA Media Queen Camilla in a blue dress with a beige trench coat holding an umbrella walking towards the camera, with King Charles III in a brown coat holding a black umbrella and waving.PA Media
King Charles III and Queen Camilla arrived in Kirkcaldy to mark the centenary of the town's war memorial

King Charles and Queen Camilla have visited a Fife town as part of Holyrood week - the annual royal celebration of Scottish culture, community and achievements.

The King and Queen faced torrential downpours as they were greeted by members of the public during a visit to Kirkcaldy to mark the centenary of the town's war memorial.

The monarch traditionally spends a week each July in Edinburgh.

On Tuesday, the King began the official visit with the traditional Ceremony of the Keys in the palace gardens, before holding an investiture ceremony for honours recipients and garden party.

PA Media King Charles wearing a brown coat and holding a black umbrella lays at wreath a war memorial decorated with red poppies. Soldiers and the public line the background of the photo.PA Media
King Charles lays a wreath at Kirkcaldy War Memorial
PA Media Queen Camilla wearing a blue dress and beige trench coat holding an umbrella shakes the hand of a female soldier in a camouflage uniform.PA Media
Queen Camilla greeted soldiers and members of the public during the visit to Kirkcaldy
PA Media King Charles wearing a brown coat and holding a black umbrella standing in the rain.PA Media
King Charles in the heavy rain during a minute silence after laying a wreath at Kirkcaldy War Memorial

King Charles sheltered under an umbrella as he unveiled a commemorative cairn, designed as a time capsule filled with mementos and photos from local Viewforth High School for future generations.

"It's a bit damp," said Queen Camilla. "We've been used to the heatwave."

Hundreds of people watched the service through heavy showers.

Following the memorial, he viewed the centenary art exhibition at Kirkcaldy Art Gallery, where he met former prime minister Gordon Brown.

The visit and community reception celebrated the work of local charities and community organisations, which included Fife Multibank - an initiative founded by Mr Brown that provides essential goods to low-income families.

PA Media Gordon Brown wearing a black suit and red and black striped tie smiles at King Charles wearing a light coloured suit and black striped tie.PA Media
King Charles met former prime minister Gordon Brown at the Kirkcaldy Art Gallery
PA Media Queen Camilla wearing a blue dress stands in the centre of five women smiling at the camera. Men and women stand behind looking towards the camera.PA Media
Queen Camilla met staff, volunteers and patrons at Maggie's Fife to celebrate the work at the Victoria Hospital

The Queen visited a cancer centre run by charity Maggie's, which she has been president of since 2008.

She met people living with cancer at the town's Victoria Hospital, alongside Maggie's chief executive Dame Laura Lee, Mr Brown's wife Sarah and broadcaster Kirsty Wark.

Maggie's was founded by the late writer, gardener and designer Maggie Keswick Jencks and her husband, the late landscape designer Charles Jencks.

The idea for the centres came after she was diagnosed with cancer and was then told in 1993 that it had returned while in windowless hospital corridor.

The experience motivated the couple to create a more comforting environment for cancer patients. The first Maggie's Centre opened in Edinburgh in 1996.

PA Media Queen Camilla wearing a blue dress and a pearl necklace and earrings looking towards the camera. PA Media
Queen Camilla has been president of charity Maggie's since 2008
PA Media John Swinney wearing a dark coloured suit shakes the hand of King Charles wearing a light grey suit and black striped tie.PA Media
King Charles met first minister John Swinney at the Palace of Holyroodhouse

King Charles went on to meet first minister John Swinney at the Palace of Holyroodhouse.

Queen Camilla will later host a reception for the Queen's Nursing Institute of Scotland at the palace.

Founded in 1899 with a donation from Queen Victoria to organise the training of district nurses, the charity now provides professional development opportunities for Scotland's community nurses and midwives.