King Charles III hosted a special reception for Scotland's business leaders at the Palace of Holyroodhouse in Edinburgh, where he shared a dram of whisky with First Minister John Swinney.
A Royal Celebration of Scottish Enterprise
The event, held on Monday 19 January 2026, brought together a diverse group of entrepreneurs, investors, and representatives from capital investment firms. The gathering was designed to honour and promote Scotland's dynamic entrepreneurial spirit. The King was joined by Scotland's First Minister, John Swinney, and Deputy First Minister, Kate Forbes, for the occasion.
In the historic Throne Room, the monarch and the First Minister engaged with investors and business leaders from key sectors including technology, healthcare, and artificial intelligence (AI). The reception provided a unique platform for dialogue between the royal household, the Scottish Government, and the nation's commercial innovators.
Tasting Award-Winning Whisky
The meeting commenced with a whisky tasting, featuring representatives from the renowned Rosebank Distillery. Founded in Falkirk in 1840, Rosebank had recently achieved global acclaim by winning the best in show award at the 2025 San Francisco World Spirits Competition.
King Charles sampled a 31-year-old Rosebank whisky, expertly identifying notes of toffee in its flavour profile. Leonard Russell, the distillery's managing director, and his son Tom Russell, head of export, confirmed the King's knowledgeable palate.
"He did know about whisky and he was interested that it was triple distilled," Leonard Russell remarked. "He wanted to know why it had won best whisky in the world in the San Francisco competition, which is the biggest competition in America. He said it's got notes of toffee, which is what you get from long-aged whisky."
Royal Support for Scottish Business
The Russell family, who run the business, expressed their honour at sharing their success story with the King. Leonard Russell highlighted the significance of the royal engagement, stating, "We're honoured, and what the King does to bring attention to businesses in Scotland is a remarkable thing."
The reception underscored the ongoing royal support for Scottish industry and innovation. The King and Queen were in Scotland as the event took place, coinciding with the start of the Duke of Sussex's trial against the publisher of the Daily Mail at the High Court in London on the same Monday.
Prince Harry attended the Royal Courts of Justice in person, with his barrister, David Sherborne, submitting that the alleged methods of information-gathering by Associated Newspapers Limited had caused the Duke "paranoid beyond belief" and placed a "massive strain" on his personal relationships. The Duke is expected to give evidence in the case on Thursday.
