A toast to the end of the tour! The Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh baptised a cask of port as their tour of Portugal came to an end today. “We could swim in it”, the Duchess, 61, laughed as she admired a huge bottle of the drink at Graham’s Wine Lodge in Porto, Portugal.

“Or we could cradle it”, she added jokingly making a cradling motion. With a countdown of 3, 2, 1, the Duchess was the first to splash a glass of port onto the barrel, closely followed by the Duke, 62. The couple were the latest members of the Royal Family to baptise a cask at the lodge, with the Duke of Kent, 90, doing so on a previous visit.

The couple’s visit to the wine lodge came after they watched an electrifying dance performance at Casa da Música. Left in awe by the combination of hip hop and breakdancing, the Duchess called for the dance troupe to enter ‘Portugal’s Got Talent’ after watching them perform to traditional instruments such as the harpsichord and the Portuguese guitar.

Starting at Porto Town Hall, Prince Edward, 62, and Sophie, 61, received the highest honour when they were handed the keys to the city from the mayor, Pedro Duarte.

Given in recognition of the special 640-year-old relationship between the UK and Portugal, the keys have only been awarded to nine people in the last five years, including French President Emmanuel Macron.

While the Duchess headed off for a private engagement, the Duke carried on his late father’s formidable legacy by meeting students taking part in the Duke of Edinburgh International Award at the Oporto British School.

With the chance to show off his knot-tying skills, help put the finishing touches on a tent and crack a few jokes about the perils of cooking onions during their treks, the Duke was on top form as he chatted to the participants.
With a huge cheer from the youngest members of the school, Edward wasted no time asking what their favourite subjects, hobbies and football teams were.

“Ice-skating” shouted one child, to which the Duke quipped: “Is there much ice-skating to do in Portugal?” “No”, the youngster laughed.

The Duke and Duchess then reunited to tour Porto Cathedral, the location where King João I of Portugal married King Richard II’s cousin, Phillipa of Lancaster in 1387. After being greeted by loud cheers from the waiting crowd, the couple admired the beautiful blue and white azulejo tiles and heard how the huge cloister was a wedding gift from King João to his new wife.

The couple’s tour not only celebrated the strong bilateral relationship between the two countries, but also marks the 640th anniversary of the signing of the Treaty of Windsor – Europe’s oldest diplomatic alliance.