THE Duke of Gloucester met Dudley Council’s chief executive, had a tour of the Black Country Living Museum and checked out the town's high tech Very Light Rail centre when he visited the borough last week.

His Royal Highness, a cousin of the late Queen Elizabeth II, was guest of honour at a commemorative tree planting ceremony at Coronation Gardens in Dudley town centre.

The oak tree was planted in commemoration of the Coronation of King Charles III last Wednesday (April 19).

Compost made from floral tributes, which were laid by residents across the borough in memory of the late Queen at the time of her passing, was placed in the ground where the oak tree was planted.

Kevin O’Keefe, chief executive at Dudley Council, said: “It was a huge honour to welcome His Royal Highness The Duke of Gloucester to Dudley borough.”

He added: “Dudley’s Coronation Gardens is believed to date back to the 1930’s, around the time of the accession of George VI, and the area was originally named ‘Princess Gardens’ following the birth of the then Princess Elizabeth, so it is a very fitting place for this special tree.”

Following the planting ceremony, His Royal Highness visited the Very Light Rail National Innovation Centre at Castle Gate in Dudley where he was joined by representatives from Dudley Council and greeted by senior directors from the Black Country Innovative Manufacturing Organisation (BCIMO), which has been established to oversee the build, launch and operation of the site.

The visit, which included the unveiling of a commemorative plaque, cemented the centre’s status as an important new transport innovation hub, just four months after it opened for business on the site of the former Dudley railway station.

The Duke also visited Stourbridge Glass Museum in Wordsley and Dudley’s Black Country Living Museum during his visit to the borough.