Members of the British Royal Family were welcomed into the Athletes’ Village today as Prince Charles, Prince Edward and the Duchess of Cornwall met athletes and officials in the dining area. Team Scotland Chef de Mission Jon Doig, swimmer Kerry Buchan and weightlifter Graeme Kane, each had the honour of meeting the delegation.

Jon Doig said: “It was fantastic to meet the Royal party in the village this morning. As the President of the Commonwealth Games Federation, Prince Edward has a wonderful enthusiasm for the Games, and it was a pleasure to introduce him to two of our athletes. Both Prince Charles and the Duchess took great interest in both Kerry and Graeme, and wished the whole team luck for the Games.”

Kerry added: “As a swimmer I need to get up really early for training and competition, but as I explained it’s what I am used to at home. They all asked me about the pool, and were interested to hear about how my training was coming along.”

The Royal delegation had been touring the village and they were impressed by the training venues for weightlifting and wrestling. The Prince of Wales was particularly interested in the intricacies of Graeme’s sport.

Graeme said: “I have a few scratches around my neck, so I was explaining to Prince Charles that they have come from the new bars. When the grip on the bar is new, like they are here, they can be really rough so it can catch you during a lift.”

“It was great to have the opportunity to meet the Royals, and I’ll certainly give them a wave when we walk past in the parade tonight.”

The Royal party will be present at this evening’s Opening Ceremony where Prince Charles will officially open the Games on behalf of Queen Elizabeth II.