King Charles hugged by guest at event marking 25 years of Scottish Parliament

A Scots woman says she gave the King a hug as he visited Holyrood “because of him being unwell”. Yvonne Macmillan chatted to Charles while attending a special ceremony to mark 25 years of the Scottish Parliament.

The King was diagnosed with cancer earlier this year, in February, and underwent treatment shortly afterwards. He has now returned to public duties, with Mrs Macmillan, from East Renfrewshire, wishing him well.

Th 59-year-old telling the PA news agency: “I asked him if he was feeling better and if I could give him a hug. I actually said to him: ‘Can I hug you?’

Mrs Macmillan was at Holyrood with her husband Russell, also 59, who is registered blind.

Russell was invited to Saturday’s ceremony as a “local hero” – community champions nominated by each of Holyrood’s MSPs in recognition of their work in their local area. He was nominated after he set up a charity to raise money after undergoing a pancreas and kidney transplant, saying the person whose organs he received had “saved my life”.

He said the King had been “grateful” for the couple’s good wishes after they asked about his health.