In one of his last duties as Duke of Rothesay , King Charles III visited Lanark Auction Market on Wednesday 7th September 2022 in his role as patron to the Clydesdale Horse Society to a view a new statue of the animal which had recently been erected by the Lanark Community Development Trust .
The Trust had raised over £55,000 for the very impresive statue and an education initiative which included the printing of a booklet outlining the history of the development of the breed in and around the town of Lanark , in Clydesdale , three hundred years ago .
On arriving at the market the Duke was welcomed by Vice Lord-Lieutenant Gavin Whitefield CBE DL and introduced to Millar Stoddart MBE DL and Chair of the Trust Sylvia Russell who has been the driving force behind the project . The Duke then had a close up view of the statue , speaking at length to its creator Dan Adams and design firm managing director Sue Lipscombe . He then met some Clydesdale Horses and Police Scotland Mounted Officers , Jim and Linzie Kenneday’s mare and foal and Braehead man Jim Tenant’s Royal Highland Show – winning horse .
Following a trip on a carriage towed by Ronnie Walker’s Clydesdales the Prince was greeted at the auction market by directors and staff before meeting a number of the statue’s funders and signing the visitors book in the Symington Suite . He also took the opportunity to watch the sale of black-faced ewes in one of the auction rings before heading to Lanark Racecourse where his helicopter was waiting to take him back to Dumfries House .
