The Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh concluded their three-day visit to Portugal with the christening of a cask of port wine. At the end of the final day of their trip, the couple doused the cask with wine during a ceremony at Graham's Port Lodge estate in Porto.
After the countdown of "three, two, one," Sophie was the first to pour a glass of port onto a wooden barrel, followed by her husband. The couple became the latest in a long line of royal guests to participate in this long-standing tradition—the last being the Duke of Kent.
Admiring a huge bottle of port, Sophie joked, "You could swim in it!" It was a fitting end to the tour, which took the couple from the capital, Lisbon, to the historic city of Porto in honor of the centuries-old union between Portugal and Great Britain.
A couple christened a barrel of port wine (photo from Alamy catalogue).
Earlier in the day, they were presented with the keys to the city of Porto – which Prince Edward called "a great honour.".
They were met at the town hall by a guard of honour, and Mayor Pedro Duarte welcomed them, saying: "We celebrate not only the friendship between nations, but also a shared commitment to freedom, the rule of law and the values that unite our people.".
«The Keys to the City is one of Porto's highest honours, and has been awarded to only nine people in the last five years, including French President Emmanuel Macron.
Edward and Sophie finished their three-day trip in Porto (photo from Alamy archive).
«"Thank you very much for this tremendous honor," Edward told his hosts, explaining that this was his wife's first visit to Porto. "Receiving the keys is a sign of enormous trust, and we are deeply honored.".
Read more about Edward and Sophie's trip to Portugal below...
On the final day of the tour, Edward also visited the British School of Porto—the oldest British school in continental Europe—as part of the Duke of Edinburgh's International Award Open Day. In 2023, he succeeded his late father as patron of this youth organization.
You may also like
-
Prince Edward and Duchess Sophie brought Lisbon to a standstill by riding a tram through the city.
-
Sophie Wessex and Prince Edward's natural and touching relationships with their children are causing discussion among fans.
-
Prince Edward amazed those around him with a completely unexpected form of transport!
Meeting with students preparing for their "Golden Expedition"—the highest level of the award—Edward helped the group pitch a tent and told one boy, who admitted to getting lost on a previous trip, "You're not lost because you're here—you're just temporarily off the map.".
The couple were presented with the keys to the city of Porto (PA Images via Getty Images).
Edward and Sophie's visit to Portugal, which began in the capital, Lisbon, was intended to highlight the deep historical ties between our two countries, cemented by the Treaty of Windsor in 1386.
The Duke and Duchess visited the tomb of King João I of Portugal and Queen Philippa of Lancaster (PA Images via Getty Images).
The marriage a year later between King John of Portugal and Philippa of Lancaster of England, who became his queen, further strengthened Anglo-Portuguese relations, which continue to this day.
During their stay in Porto, Edward and Sophie, who the day before had visited the tomb of the Portuguese king and queen in the Monastery of Batalha, went to the city's ancient cathedral, where their wedding took place in 1387.