King Charles has been presented with Scotland’s crown jewels in Edinburgh.
The 74-year-old monarch acceded to the throne upon the death of his mother Queen Elizabeth in September 2022 and was in the city with his wife Queen Camilla to attend the National Service of Thanksgiving and Dedication, held in honour of his coronation, which took place in England earlier this year.
Upon receiving the sceptre and a sword made of gold, silver and gems, known collectively as the Honours of Scotland, the King vowed: “In receiving this crown, I so promise by God’s help.”
The crown presented to the King had been worn by James V of Scotland when he reigned in the 1500s, but the country has not had its own monarchy since uniting with England to form Great Britain in 1707.
Along with his wife, the King was joined by his eldest son Prince William – who he has with late wife Princess Diana – and Catherine, Princess of Wales, who are known as the Duke and Duchess of Rothesay while in Scotland.
The Prince – who is next in line to the throne – could be seen smiling next to his wife and she was dressed in a matching blue outfit, presumably in honour of the country’s official colour.
During the service, music was provided by the likes of world-famous violinist Nicola Benedetti – who gave a rendition of ‘Farewell to Stromness’ – and a new arrangement of Scottish folk songs chosen by The King was arranged by Ayrshire-born composer Jay Capperauld and performed by The Honours of Scotland Ensemble.
Prior to the service – which took place at St Giles’ Cathedral – the crown jewels had been driven from Edinburgh Castle to St Giles’ in a procession down the Royal Mile which involved almost 100 notable people from Scottish life.
Upon leaving the National Service of Thanksgiving and Dedication, the King – who had also been presented with a new sword named after his late mother by Dame Katherine Grainger – was honoured with a 21-gun salute and a Red Arrows flypast.
A number of protestors had landed at the event to chant “not my king” and a handful of arrests were made, with Grant McKenzie, from the Republic anti-monarchy pressure group, claiming that the prestigious occasion was “tone deaf” amid the cost-of-living crisis.
He told the BBC: “It’s being forced upon us, we’ve got an unprecedented cost of living crisis. I don’t think the public in the UK are particularly interested in their tax payer money being put towards a parade up and down the Royal Mile in Edinburgh – it’s tone deaf.”
However, Rev Dr Amos Chewachong was one of the officiating ministers for the day and explained that he was “deeply honoured” to be asked to take on such a significant role.
He said: “I am really deeply honoured to be asked to officiate at such a significant event. It is the first time for me to see the King and Queen and I was really nervous at the start but I was really happy. When the monarch was blessed it was an important moment for me. I am here because I am from the Commonwealth as I am from Cameroon.”
