Cheering crowds greeted the Prince of Wales and the Duchess of Cornwall on their first royal engagement since they married on Saturday.

The royal couple, who are known as the Duke and Duchess of Rothesay in Scotland, interrupted their honeymoon to open a play park at Monaltrie Park in Ballater, Aberdeenshire.

Hundreds of people, including pupils from the local primary school, and a piper welcomed the Duchess, who wore a pink coat with tartan trim and shawl, and Prince Charles, in traditional Highland dress.

The Duchess performed her first official public duty as a royal by cutting a tartan ribbon to officially open the play park using a pair of gold-plated scissors. The school children rushed into the park as she cut the ribbon.

The couple were shown around the new facilities and spoke with members of the Ballater Charitable Chiels group, which funded the park.

The weather showed no respect for the occasion and rain started to fall as the couple continued their tour of the park, forcing them to erect umbrellas. The children, however, were less concerned with the precipitation and continued to play.

But as heavy rain began to disperse the crowd of almost 1,000 people, Charles and Camilla thanked the Chiels and local dignitaries before departing.

Explore UK News

• Crime News

• Education News

• Health News

• Science News

• Scotland News

Times Recommends

• Ashes bid in chaos as big gamble fails
• Private schools secretly put up for sale
• Council tax debt-chasers on £600 an hour