King Charles and Queen Camilla met by hundreds of royal fans in Galashiels visit

Among the first to arrive were Elizabeth and Barry Willis, who left their Duns home at around 7.15am, ahead of the royal couple arriving in Galashiels at 11am.

Elizabeth said: “We only heard about this yesterday morning and we had always wanted to see the King and Queen, so we decided to leave early to make sure we were at the front.

"I really love the royal family, they do a wonderful job for the UK, so it will be nice to see them both.”

Young royal fans Jacob Studzinski, 11, from Lauder and his council, 10-year-old Logan Smith, were just as excited.

Clutching a gnome king ornament, Jacob said: “We’re really looking forward to meeting the king and queen, and maybe even get a wee handshake.”

Travelling a bit further was Jane Holloway from Australia.

She said: “I am the president of the Embroiders Guild of Queensland and I travelled here today to see the tapestry.

"I had no idea the king and queen were coming, but that’s a great coincidence.

"The queen is the patron of the Royal School of Needlework and she’s heavily involved in embroidery.”

There were loud cheers as the King and Queen arrived in their car, and they spoke to many of the crowd before heading into the building.

There, they met tapestry creators, such as Alistair Moffat, Andrew McCall Smith and Andrew Crummy, as well as those who stitched the tapestry itself, including lead stitcher Dorie Wilkie and centre staff, and the Queen herself added the final two stitches to a new tapestry panel commemorating the visit, which will be sent off to be framed and will join the other panels at the centre.

Andrew McCall Smith, from whose vision the tapestry was born, added: “It is now 10 full years since the completion of The Great Tapestry of Scotland.

"All who have been involved throughout this period are grateful to His Majesty The King and Her Majesty The Queen, for their visit to see for themselves this remarkable artwork in its new home in Galashiels – in a striking, award-winning gallery that does full justice to the artistry that it houses.

"When we started this project we had no idea that the result would be so lovely and so affecting, or that so many people would be brought together in friendship. I’m particularly delighted that the many hands that worked together to realise this vision have been recognised by Their Majesties today.”

Stitcher coordinator Dorie Wilkie said: “A lot of hard work and camaraderie went into the making of the Great Tapestry of Scotland, and great friendships were made. When we first completed it, we were exhausted, but we knew we had created something truly special. However, it wasn’t until we started touring that we realised the profound impact it would have on all those who saw it.

“It is incredibly significant now for the Tapestry’s army of volunteer stitchers that this work is being celebrated by The King and Queen ten years on. In the past, you never knew who had embroidered tapestries like the Bayeux Tapestry, now through The Great Tapestry of Scotland their passion and hard work will be preserved for many generations to come.”

Both King Charles and Queen Camilla added their signatures to the visitor book.

According to centre director Sandy Maxwell Forbes, the visit couldn't have gone any better.

She told us: “We are delighted and truly honoured to welcome Their Majesties to the tapestry.

"It’s very important. This is the history of Scotland, and that has strong connections with royalty and to the royal family.

"We already have 13 panels dedicated to royalty and now we have the extra panel to mark today’s visit.

"So, to have the endorsement of the King and Queen, who truly have enjoyed their day is very special for us.”

It is hoped that the high-profile visit could begin a turnaround in fortunes for the centre, which has not enjoyed the visitor numbers previously projected.

However, Sandy said it’s already beginning to get busier.

She said: “Footfall is increasing. We got past the pandemic and we have that legacy; we got through, but are still suffering from the financial crisis.

"But now what we are seeing is green shoots, and people are starting to come.

"Yesterday, it was packed, you could barely move in here.”

Councillor Euan Jardine, Leader of Scottish Borders Council said: “It is an honour to have the King and Queen come to the Scottish Borders to visit The Great Tapestry of Scotland, the visit will help to establish the fact that it is now one of Scotland’s greatest cultural assets.

"This is especially rewarding given the significant investment made into developing the Great Tapestry of Scotland visitor centre in Galashiels. This comes alongside strong evidence of the centre drawing new and repeat visitors to the Scottish Borders.

“Supporting the regeneration of Galashiels town centre was also a key driver for bringing the Great Tapestry of Scotland to the town and it has helped to bring in many millions of pounds of investment from a whole range of partners. That investment not only helped us develop the visitor centre but also support community-led regeneration projects, particularly through Energise Galashiels Trust.”

Back outside, the royal couple chatted once again with supporters.

Karen Redpath and Jodie Wilson, from Galashiels, said they enjoyed their chat with the king.

Karen said: “It was lovely! We commented on how we got his picture on the way in and hers on the way out. I think the visit will bring a lot of money in."

And Jodie invited him for tea.

She said: “He said he would definitely drop round, if there’s a bit of a dram in it as well.

"Just the tea, though. I’m not cooking … there are limits.”

Among the hundreds of supporters there were also a handful of protestors, carrying “Not My King” placards. Their jeers when the couple left, however, were certainly overwhelmed by the clapping and cheers from the majority of the crowd.