Don’t reign on our parade! King Charles and Queen Camilla brave the drizzle in Edinburgh as they inspect new Jubilee Gates at Palace of Holyroodhouse ahead of Service of Thanksgiving
- The royal couple are currently taking part in Holyrood Week celebrations
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King Charles and Queen Camilla braved the rain in Edinburgh this morning as they inspected the new Jubilee Gates which have been installed at the Palace of Holyroodhouse.
The newly-crowned couple are currently taking part in Holyrood Week celebrations ahead of Service of Thanksgiving tomorrow.
The King, 74, and Queen, 75, will be presented with the oldest Crown Jewels in the UK – known as the Honours of Scotland – at a glorious ceremony on Wednesday to mark their Coronation.
Continuing the Holyrood Week celebrations, the King, 74, and Queen, 75, unveiled a new gold plaque outside the Palace of Holyroodhouse – which is the King’s official residence in Edinburgh.
The new ornate gate features six emblems – including a thistle, which is the traditional emblem of Scotland.
King Charles was presented with a leather-bound book detailing the history of the Palace of Holyroodhouse at the engagement
During the engagement, the King was given a leather-bound book detailing the history of Holyroodhouse by moderator of the High Constables, Roderick Urquhart.
The iron gate was originally commissioned to celebrate the late Queen’s Jubilee last year.
For the engagement, Queen Camilla looked chic in a beige trenchcoat worn over a green floral dress.
The royal appeared in great spirits as she protected herself from the rain with a see-through umbrella.
Camilla finished off her stylish ensemble with a pair of pearl earrings and nude heels.
Meanwhile, King Charles was suitably dapper in a blue pinstripe suit, printed tie and black shoes.
The Service of Dedication and Thanksgiving tomorrow will also be attended by the Prince and Princess of Wales, known as the Duke and Duchess of Rothesay.
Yesterday, the King, 74, marked the start of Holyrood Week by taking part in ancient ‘Ceremony of the Keys’ ritual at Palace of Holyroodhouse.
King Charles and Queen Camilla are welcomed by High Constables as they arrive to view the new Jubilee Gates
During the engagement, the royal couple unveiled a gold plaque – which sits next to the ornate gate
Queen Camilla, 75, looked chic in a beige trenchcoat worn over a green floral dress and nude heels
The ceremony saw the King handed the keys of the city and welcomed to his ‘ancient and hereditary kingdom of Scotland’. A Guard of Honour was formed by members of Royal Company of Archers.
During the ritual, the monarch ceremoniously returns the keys, entrusting them to the elected officials of the city.
Earlier in the day, Charles visited Kinneil House in Bo’ness, Falkirk, to meet representatives from charities including his own, The Princes Trust, as well as Cycling Without Age Scotland and Sustainable Thinking Scotland.
Each year, the monarch traditionally spends a week based at the Palace of Holyroodhouse in Edinburgh, known as Holyrood Week or Royal Week in Scotland.
In 2022, Her late Majesty Queen Elizabeth II travelled to Edinburgh to be present at the Palace of Holyroodhouse for what was her final Ceremony of the Keys, despite winding back her official duties due to mobility issues.
The late monarch, who passed away in September 2022, and had a deep love for Scotland, was joined by Prince Edward and Sophie – who have since assumed the titles of the Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh following her death.
The King today took part in the historic Ceremony of the Keys – the traditional opener to Holyrood Week for the Royal Family
King Charles III (right) plants a tree to commemorate the centenary of the estate becoming a public park during his visit to Kinneil House yesterday
King Charles III greets the Bo’ness Fair Queen, Lexi Scotland, during his visit to Kinneil House, marking the first Holyrood Week since his coronation
Ahead of the ceremony on Wednesday, royal fans got up at the crack of dawn yesterday morning to catch a glimpse of the procession rehearsal on the Royal Mile.
The service will also involve a people’s procession of about 100 community groups collecting the honours from Edinburgh Castle.
The procession will then be escorted to the cathedral by the Royal Regiment of Scotland and its Shetland pony mascot, Corporal Cruachan IV, supported by cadet musicians from the combined cadet force pipes and drums
Buildings on the historic stretch of road – which is situated in the heart of Edinburgh’s Old Town – date all the way back to the late 16th Century.
The Royal Mile has been used as the processional route for monarchs over the past 500 years as it connects Edinburgh Castle and Holyrood Palace.
The Service of Thanksgiving, which will take place at St Giles’ Cathedral, is a key part of Royal Week, with Charles and Camilla undertaking several engagements in Scotland.
Pictured: Members of the armed forces took part in a procession rehearsal along Edinburgh’s Royal Mile yesterday morning
Soliders dressed in traditional kilts and bearskin hats were also spotted in the procession rehearsal in Edinburgh yesterday
Prince Harry is not thought to be attending the symbolic July 5th Honours of Scotland service to officially mark his father becoming Head of State in Scotland.
The Duke of Sussex attended the Coronation on May 6th without wife Meghan Markle and flew in for just 24 hours to see his father crowned at Westminster Abbey, before jetting back to his home in Montecito, California.
A 21-gun salute will fire from Edinburgh Castle at the end of the St Giles’ service, before the royal procession travels back to the palace.
The Stone of Destiny will be in the cathedral during the ceremony, and there will also be a fly-past by the Red Arrows following the event.
Five new pieces of music will be heard to mark the coronation of the King and Queen.
The pieces, including one composed in Gaelic, were commissioned by Charles for the national service of thanksgiving and dedication at St Giles’ Cathedral on Wednesday.
The new music will form part of what is described by Buckingham Palace as a rich mix at the service to reflect Scottish history and culture, with performers representative of contemporary Scotland.
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