William and Kate in Dundee for formal opening of V&A museum

The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge have arrived to crowds of well-wishers to formally open the V&A Dundee.

They were welcomed by locals who lined the street outside the £80 million landmark building, which opened to the public in September.

William and Kate, known as the Earl and Countess of Strathearn when in Scotland, were met by V&A Dundee director Philip Long before entering the museum for a tour.

The first V&A museum anywhere in the world outside London, the building designed by Japanese architect Kengo Kuma on the banks of the River Tay is the centrepiece of an ongoing £1 billion regeneration of Dundee’s waterfront.

In her role as patron of V&A, the duchess will make a short speech celebrating the addition of the centre for Scotland and the UK.

Mr Long said: “V&A Dundee is an ambitious new international museum and we are honoured that the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge today declared the museum officially open.

“V&A Dundee is at the heart of Dundee’s transforming waterfront and is a key part of the city’s plans for an exciting future.

“Within our remarkable building, designed by Kengo Kuma, we are proud to host world-class permanent galleries and remarkable exhibitions that have already delighted and inspired hundreds of thousands of people.”

Lord Lieutenant Ian Borthwick, Lord Provost of Dundee, said: “I am delighted to welcome the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge to V&A Dundee.

“This magnificent building is continuing to raise the city’s global profile and celebrates Scotland’s rich cultural heritage.

“Dundee is a Unesco City of Design, a place where culture is helping to transform people’s lives. This museum has already brought huge benefits to the city of Dundee.”

Later, they will meet employees and their families from a tyre factory which is to cease production.

Michelin announced in November that the plant, which employs 845 workers, would stop production by mid-2020.

After meeting staff, the royal couple will attend a meeting of the Michelin Action Group, which is aiming to find and take forward solutions for repurposing the plant and providing a sustainable future for its workforce.

Michelin has made a deal with Scottish ministers to repurpose the factory in an effort to secure a future in low carbon transport and manufacturing.

The meeting will take place at an undisclosed location away from the factory itself.

The duke will make some remarks at the start of the meeting, thanking the action group for its dedicated work to date.

The group meets regularly and includes representatives from Dundee City Council, the Scottish and UK governments, union officials, Scottish Enterprise and Michelin.