THE DUKE AND DUCHESS OF CAMBRIDGE TO VISIT DUNDEE
Dundee, Scotland
Tuesday 29th January, 2019
The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge will travel to Dundee to officially open V&A Dundee and greet members of the public on the waterfront. They will then meet with workers from the Dundee Michelin factory and join a meeting of the Michelin Action Group that is working to repurpose the site and ensure new employment opportunities for the local area.
The day will start with The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge officially opening Scotland’s first design museum, V&A Dundee. The establishment of the museum was made possible because of the unique collaboration between V&A, the University of Dundee, Abertay University, Dundee City Council, the UK and Scottish governments, the National Lottery and Scottish Enterprise. The Museum, which is at the heart of a £1 billion waterfront regeneration plan, is already bringing significant economic and social benefits to the local area, helping to reshape the city’s future as a hub for the creative industries.
The Duchess of Cambridge will make a short speech celebrating the addition of this major new cultural centre for Scotland and the UK, in her role as Patron of V&A. The visit will build on Her Royal Highness’s keen interest in promoting the visual arts, and highlighting the value that public institutions like V&A Dundee can offer local communities, particularly in terms of increased accessibility to world-class art and design.
The Duke and Duchess will then travel to meet with employees and their families from the Dundee Michelin factory, to hear first-hand how the factory’s planned closure is affecting them. Following these discussions, Their Royal Highnesses will attend the Michelin Action Group, which is aiming to find and take forward solutions for repurposing the plant and providing a sustainable future for its skilled workforce.
The Duke will give short remarks at the start of the meeting, thanking the action group for its dedicated work to date. He will also highlight what has already been achieved elsewhere in the city thanks to different communities working as a collective. The action group meets regularly and includes representatives from the local council, the Scottish and UK Governments, Union officials, Scottish Enterprise and Michelin.
