Queen Elizabeth visits the northern part of the UK every year on Holyrood Week, which is called Royal Week in Scotland, to celebrate Scottish traditions and culture.
Cumbernauld – Prince William has ushered in a royal visit to Scotland with a glass of the popular Irn Bru soft drink. “You can taste the steel girders”, said the 39-year-old with a smile on Monday in the premises of the manufacturer AG Barr in Cumbernauld – an allusion to the advertising slogan “made of steel girders in Scotland”.
William accompanied his grandmother, Queen Elizabeth II, (95), who is in Scotland for the so-called Holyrood week. The monarch inaugurated a new production facility, but refrained from sipping the caffeinated drink.
Irn Bru (German: Eisen-Gebräu) is considered the “second national drink” of the Scots – after whiskey. The drink tastes “excellent,” said William. Before that he had sniffed the glass longer. “I’m trying to guess what’s inside, but it’s difficult,” he said. The drink has been made for around 120 years, and the recipe is reportedly only known to three people. “I’d like to tell you,” Manager Colin Reilly told the prince, who replied, “It’s a well-kept secret.”
The Queen will stay in Scotland until next Thursday (July 1st). On Wednesday and Thursday, she will be accompanied by her daughter Princess Anne (70) at her appointments. dpa
