The Duchess of Edinburgh is set to appear at the opening ceremony of the Tour de France 2027 Grand Départ in Edinburgh, an event that sold out within hours of tickets going on general sale.
Grand Départ 2027 in Edinburgh
The world-famous race start was announced with the help of the Duchess of Edinburgh. Pictures of Duchess Sophie feature in the announcement of the grand opening ceremony, indicating that she will be there as this once-in-a-generation event comes to Scotland.
Tickets for the opening ceremony, which will take place on June 30, 2027, went on general sale but sold out within hours.
Royal attendance expected
Sophie and her husband Prince Edward, the Duke of Edinburgh, will likely attend the event. It's also expected that the couple will be on hand to cheer the cyclists as they take on the opening stage of the 2027 Tour.
On day two of the tour, the cyclists will make their way to northern England, while in stage three the tour will head to Wales. Prince William and Princess Catherine, the Prince and Princess of Wales, could be on hand to mark such a major sporting moment taking place in the country.
The two were present when the Tour last began in the UK back in 2014. The Waleses are often spotted supporting sporting events held in the UK, reports Royal Central.
Preparations and route
The Grand Départ 2027 has already brought a huge number of jobs to the UK as preparations for the event ramp up. Streets will be lined with thousands of volunteers who will help to look after riders and spectators.
The Tour de France will begin at the Palace of Holyroodhouse before travelling up the Royal Mile, over North Bridge and on to Princes Street. The peloton will then travel toward the English border, with the stage to finish in Carlisle.
Christian Prudhomme, Tour de France director, said: "Just a few weeks apart, the Tour de France and the Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift will each take their respective pelotons on a journey through the roads of the United Kingdom.
"Along with what we anticipate will be a warm and massive welcome for the champions, Great Britain also offers us a symbol that further ties the two races together. From the start on July 2 at the foot of Edinburgh Castle, which will be the northernmost in the history of the Tour, to a team time trial in London on August 1, which will undoubtedly bring to mind the one where the champions battled it out twenty years earlier, nearly 900 kilometres will be covered. Needless to say, there will be thousands of thrills and emotions."
Busy June for the Royal Family
June 2027 is set to be a busy month for The Firm. They will attend the Order of the Garter ceremony in Windsor as well as at Royal Ascot. Not only that, but Trooping the Colour also takes place in June and in 2027 it is also Queen Camilla's 80th birthday.
