King Charles III was presented with the Honours of Scotland during a national service of thanksgiving at St Giles’ Cathedral today (5 July).
Thousands gathered along the length of the Royal Mile where the King and Queen led a Royal Procession from the Palace of Holyroodhouse to St Giles’ Cathedral. There was also a People’s Procession from Edinburgh Castle to St Giles’ Cathedral, involving around 100 people representing different aspects of Scottish life, accompanied by a military escort and cadet force bands.
Following the service there was a 21 Gun Salute from Edinburgh Castle and a flypast by the RAF’s Red Arrows.
The Lord Lieutenant of the City of Edinburgh, Robert Aldridge said:
I was delighted and honoured to welcome His Majesty King Charles III and Queen Camilla upon their arrival in Edinburgh on Monday, and to undertake the historic Ceremony of the Keys on behalf of the city.
Today we saw the Honours of Scotland, the most ancient set of crown jewels in Britain, bestowed upon King Charles III. We also saw people from all walks of life coming together in a spirit of unity and celebration.
The eyes of the world were upon us once again and it was wonderful to see Edinburgh looking its best with the streets of our historic Old Town lined with thousands of well-wishers. I’m proud that our great city has once again played its part exceptionally in the duties and responsibilities we hold as the capital of Scotland.
I would like to pay tribute to the colleagues, partners and volunteers who have worked tirelessly behind the scenes to make sure that today’s events ran so smoothly. I would also like to thank the people of Edinburgh for their patience and understanding as we work to get the city back to normal as soon as possible.