Prince Edward returned to his royal duties shortly after landing in the United Kingdom from his esteemed Canadian tour.
On Friday, July 4, the Duke of Edinburgh hosted a reception at the Palace of Holyroodhouse to celebrate the achievements of 600 young people from his special Duke of Edinburgh programme.
King Charles' younger brother congratulated the young achievers while encouraging them that they should all be "incredibly proud" of themselves for their achievements.
He also delivered a speech to the attendees, noting, "It's really good to see you all here today, and particularly, congratulations to every one of you who has managed to achieve your gold DofE."
The European Record Holder, Eilish McColgan, who was celebrating her Gold Award on the day, addressed the crowd saying, "Find that DofE feeling again as finding your people, your place, your purpose it matters more than we often realise."
Notably, the Duke of Edinburgh Award announced record-breaking participation figures across Scotland, with 33,816 young people actively taking part in 2024/25.
These participants contributed 351,156 hours of volunteering, with an estimated total value of £2.2 million.
According to the director for Scotland Helen Anderson, the Holyroodhouse celebration was "a real honour and a privilege."
Prince Edward receives his own Gold Award in which year?
For those unaware, His Royal Highness received his own Gold Award from his father, late Prince Philip in 1986.
Prince Edward’s Friday morning event marked his first royal engagement since returning from his tour of Canada.
