The Queen has said “we are going to have to change the way we do things”, as she spoke with experts in Scotland about their research into ways to reverse the effects of climate change.
The monarch visited the Edinburgh Climate Change Institute on Thursday and was discussing the impact of tackling the global issue.
Joined by her daughter Anne, the Princess Royal, she was at the University of Edinburgh premises for her final engagement as part of the traditional Royal Week visit to Scotland.
The monarch arrived in a hybrid Land Rover, and immediately remarked “it’s electric” as she stepped out of the vehicle.
When speaking with experts from ClimateXChange, she said: “It does mean we are going to have to change the way we do things really, in the end.”
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Anne Marte Bergeseng, a representative from the organisation, said her discussion with the Queen covered “everything, essentially” about a greener future and what that will mean for everyday living.
The royals also met representatives from the Children’s Parliament, who presented the monarch with two rowan trees.
They will be planted as part of the UK-wide tree planting initiative called The Queen’s Green Canopy (QGC), to mark the platinum jubilee next year.
The monarch unveiled a plaque for the institute and listened to a speech from university principal Peter Mathieson, who spoke about the challenges faced by the workforce during the pandemic and what it may mean for the future.
The Queen said afterwards: “It’s very unnatural for us, obviously we’re going to have to change our lives a bit.
“Nothing can be quite normal again or what we thought.”
The royal tour also coincided with the announcement of the Edinburgh Earth Initiative (EEI), a project aiming to boost global leadership on the adaption to and mitigation of climate change.