The Queen and Prince Philip officially open Queensferry Crossing in Scotland

The Queen and Prince Philip officially open Queensferry Crossing in Scotland

The Queen has been joined by Prince Philip as they open the new “breathtaking’ Queensferry Crossing.

Royal Central reported live from the bridge as The Queen arrived to officially open the record breaking bridge.

The Queen officially opened the bridge 53 years to the day from when she opened the old Forth Road Bridge.

Upon arriving, the royal party was welcomed by a rendition of the national anthem by the Royal Regiment of Scotland band. An honour guard of Archers and the mascot pony Cruachan IV were also present.

Local schoolchildren from both sides of the bridge waved flags and cheered.

The Queen spent time talking to local children as she made her way up the bridge, as well as speaking with some of the people who helped build the bridge.

Before cutting the ribbon, The Queen said: “The three magnificent structures we see here span three centuries, are all feats of modern engineering and a tribute to the vision and remarkable skill of those who designed them.”

As the ribbon was cut, the Royal Regiment of Scotland band jumped into performance as the gathered crowds of local schoolchildren burst into cheer. The famous Red Arrows performed a flyover across all three bridges while a flotilla of boats travelled underneath sounding their klaxons.

Following the ribbon cutting, The Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh then journeyed across the bridge to the Southside where she made a speech and unveiled a plaque.

The Queen described the bridge as a “breath-taking sight” adding that it would serve as an “important link” between the Lothians and Fife.

The opening was a momentous occasion for a record breaking bridge that will serve Scotland for over 125 years. Construction began in 2011 and since then at least 10,000,000 man hours have been put into building the bridge.

The Duke’s attendance at the opening was his first since he retired from solo royal engagements last month.