The Queen and Prince Charles share rare display of affection as they meet up for special mother-son day

The Queen and Prince Charles shared a rare display of affection as they met up for a special mother-son day.

• The Queen and Prince Charles shared an awkward cheek kiss as they gave a rare display of affection when they met up for an official engagement.
• Her Majesty teamed up with her eldest son the Prince of Wales for a special project.
• This royal news (opens in new tab) comes as Princess Beatrice reveals gorgeous name she has given to her baby daughter – and it’s a lovely nod to the Queen (opens in new tab)

The Queen and Prince Charles shared a rare display of affection as they met up for a special mother-son day.

Queen Elizabeth II and her eldest son Prince Charles greeted each other warmly when they met up at Balmoral to plant a tree to mark the start of the official planting season for the Queen's Green Canopy (QGC) at Balmoral Estate in Scotland.

The engagement marks one of the first following the Queen's summer Balmoral break (opens in new tab).

The Queen and the Prince of Wales pictured walking to the Balmoral Cricket Pavillion ahead of the QGC tree planting - a UK-wide Platinum Jubilee initiative which will create a lasting legacy in tribute to the Queen's 70 years of service to the nation, through a network of trees planted in her name.

As her Majesty pulled up in the grounds from her royal ride, Prince Charles, who is said to be experiencing incredible sadness over his granddaughter (opens in new tab), was immediately on hand to greet his mother, 95 as he leaned in to kiss her on the cheek.

Prince Charles kept his hands firmly in the pockets of his jacket, as he leaned in to give his mother a warm welcome on what appeared to be a cold morning.

The Queen, wrapped up warm in a headscarf as she puckered her lips, with Charles appearing to speak to his mother in her ear.

The Royal Family Instagram account shared clips from the special day, and captioned them, 'Today The Queen and The Duke of Rothesay welcomed local schoolchildren onto the Balmoral Estate to mark the start of the @QueensGreenCanopy tree planting season in the UK.

'🍂 Her Majesty and His Royal Highness planted a copper beech as part of the Platinum Jubilee initiative.

'The children are the first class in the UK to undertake the Junior Forester Award, launched today.

The Junior Forestry Award teaches children about the environmental benefits of trees, as well as practical woodland management skills.'

One of the young girls presented the Queen with a homemade card and a book filled with drawings of trees, which she affectionately received and told her, "I will look at it in the car. Thank you very much."

The pair later joined forces for the official opening of the Scottish Parliament in which her Majesty and Their Royal Highnesses met Scottish party leaders before addressing Members of Scottish Parliament in the debating chamber.

In her address, Her Majesty said, “I have spoken before of my deep and abiding affection for this wonderful country, and of the many happy memories Prince Philip (opens in new tab) and I always held of our time here. It is often said that it is the people that make a place, and there are few places where this is truer than in Scotland, as we have seen in recent times.”

"Following my grandson’s time as Lord High Commissioner, Prince William has told me many heartening stories that he heard first hand of people and communities across Scotland uniting to protect and care for those who are isolated or vulnerable.”

“Presiding Officer, First Minister, Members of the Scottish Parliament, The Duke and Duchess of Rothesay and I will continue to follow your progress with the closest of interest, and we extend to you all our warmest good wishes as you embark on this sixth session of Parliament.”

The Queen acknowledged and thanked the “remarkable people, who have made such a positive difference to so many” during the pandemic.

Her Majesty also looked ahead to COP26 in Glasgow and the opportunity to address the challenges of climate change.