The Queen and The Duke of Edinburgh undertake a variety of engagements in Scotland each year at the beginning of July to celebrate Scottish culture, history and achievement.
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The Queen attends a number of engagements in Scotland each year as part of Holyrood Week
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The event is known as ‘Holyrood week’ and includes traditional engagements such as the Ceremony of the Keys and an Investiture and Garden Party at the Palace of Holyroodhouse, plus a number of regional engagements which vary from year to year.
The week always begins with the Ceremony of the Keys, the ceremony at which The Queen is received in the city of Edinburgh by the City Chamberlain. Her Majesty is given the keys of the city and is welcomed to ‘your ancient and hereditary kingdom of Scotland’.
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The Queen is is welcomed to ‘your ancient and hereditary kingdom of Scotland’ during the Ceremony of the Keys
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The following celebrated Scottish achievement in all walks of life with an Investiture and Garden Party at the Palace of Holyroodhouse. The annual Investiture ceremony enables Scottish honours recipients to collect their honours from The Queen in their home country.
Almost 8,000 more achievers were hosted in the spectacular grounds of the Palace which stands at the end of Edinburgh’s Royal Mile. The guests enjoyed tea in the gardens accompanied by music from The Band of the Royal Regiment of Scotland, The Band of The King’s Division and The Royal Scottish Pipers’ Society. The Royal Company of Archers, The Queen’s official bodyguards whilst Her Majesty is in Scotland, was on duty, forming avenues down which The Queen and The Duke of Edinburgh proceeded, and looking after guests in the tea tents.
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The Queen and The Duke of Edinburgh arrive for the Garden Party at the Palace of Holyroodhouse
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His Royal Highness received a briefing from the Commander of Task Force Helmand before the Colours ceremony which took place on the UK base in Lashkar Gah in Helmand Province.
their six month deployment. He later visited the field hospital on the base.
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One of The Queen’s Bodyguards, from the Royal Company of Archers, chats with garden Party guests
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Since its appointment as the Sovereigns Body Guard in Scotland in 1822 for the visit to Edinburgh of George IV, the Royal Company of Archers has served as bodyguard to each successive Sovereign. In this role today it is available for duty anywhere in Scotland at the request of The Queen on any State and ceremonial occasion which may be taking place.
Day Three of Holyrood Week saw the Thistle Service at St Giles’ Cathedral in Edinburgh. The Order of the Thistle represents the highest honour in Scotland and is presented to Scottish men and women who have held public office or who have contributed in a particular way to national life. The service celebrates the Order, its history and its current members. Find out more about the Order of the Thistle.
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The Queen meets young sailors during her visit to SportScotland’s SportNational Centre
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The rest of the week was taken up with less formal visits. The Queen opened the new campus at Margaret University in Musselburgh and the new ScotlandsPeople Centre, a new family history centre where visitors can trace their Scottish ancestry through birth, marriage and death records, wills, census records and coats of Arms going back almost 500 years.
There were also visits to the SportScotland National Centre in Largs, the Golden Jubilee National Hospital in Clydebank and the Milngavie Water Treatment Works in Barrachan.
The Duke of Edinburgh a Duke of Edinburgh’s Award Scheme dinner at the palace of Holyroodhouse and attended a Gold Awards ceremony. |
