As King Charles receives the Scottish Crown Jewels, he follows in the footsteps of the late Queen
Today, King Charles takes part in a ceremony not seen in 70 years, as his mother Queen Elizabeth made a six-day state visit north of the border.
On the occasion of his coronation two months ago, the king receives the Scottish crown jewels during a national thanksgiving service at St Giles’ Cathedral in Edinburgh.
The late Queen and her husband Prince Philip began their own journey to Scotland on June 23, 1953, three weeks after Her Majesty was crowned at Westminster Abbey.
The next day she received the crown of Scotland, the scepter and sword of the state, all of which went in glittering procession to the cathedral.
Other events during her visit included a garden party at the Palace of Holyroodhouse, the Queen’s official residence in Scotland.
Today, King Charles takes part in a ceremony not seen in 70 years, as his mother Queen Elizabeth made a six-day state visit north of the border. Above: The Queen with the Duke of Edinburgh walking into Edinburgh Castle on her coronation visit to Scotland
On 24 June 1953, the Queen received the Honors of Scotland at St Giles’ Cathedral
Most of Her Majesty’s visit saw her travel along the Royal Mile in a horse-drawn carriage to the National Service of Thanksgiving and Dedication at St Giles’.
Just as they had done in London, devoted royal fans filled the streets and decorated their homes and businesses with flags and banners.
In the cathedral, the moderator of the General Assembly – the highest official in the Scottish Presbyterian church – presided over the ceremony.
He said to the hall full of spectators, “Today you and I are Scotland, saluting our gracious young queen with all we have to offer of love and duty.”
The Queen was dressed in ‘day dress’ for the ceremony, rather than the ceremonial dress she had worn at her coronation – a fact that is said to have offended some Scots.
The Duke of Edinburgh, meanwhile, wore the uniform of a Field Marshal.
The Daily Mail reported at the time: ‘The Queen invited the people of Scotland to attend church with her here today, and people came from the arable farms and solitary farms of the Highlands, from fishing villages and from the big cities.
On the occasion of his coronation two months ago, the king receives the Scottish crown jewels during a national thanksgiving service at St Giles’ Cathedral in Edinburgh. Above: Charles greets the audience during his visit to Kinneil House in Edinburgh on Monday
Queen Elizabeth II, accompanied by HRH Duke of Edinburgh, receives the Keys of Edinburgh Castle in a presentation, during her visit to Scotland following her coronation in June 1953
The honor of Scotland leaves Edinburgh Castle for the palace of Holyrood House, before proceeding in procession to St. Giles’ Cathedral
Queen Elizabeth II and the Duke of Edinburgh in the Royal Carriage await the receipt of the keys during the Ceremony of the Keys at Edinburgh Castle on 29 June 1953
‘Seventeen hundred of them populated the old gray stone cathedral of St Giles’.
In his sermon, the moderator of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland, Professor J. Pitt-Watson, recalled that a Scottish chronicler once wrote of a Scottish queen: “Scho wes sweit and debonair, Curteis, hamely, pleasand and fair .”
“Loyalty on these terms,” said the moderator, “is but the spontaneous expression of love, and to the Queen who comes to them after the ceremonies of her coronation, such is the offer of her Scots people.”
The ceremony was the first of its kind since 1822, when King George IV visited Scotland after his coronation.
The Scottish Crown Jewels are the oldest in the United Kingdom.
The original English ones were melted down by order of Oliver Cromwell after King Charles I was executed in 1649.
The Crown of Scotland dates back to 1540, when it was created for King James V of Scotland.
Mary Queen of Scots was the first Scottish monarch to be crowned with the new crown and scepter together, in 1543.
The ancient Crown of Scotland is worn on a cushion ahead of the Queen and Duke of Edinburgh at St. Giles’ Cathedral here during the National Service of Thanksgiving
The Queen and Prince Philip are driven to St. Giles Cathedral in a horse-drawn carriage
The Queen, wearing a light powder blue coat and white hat, and the Duke of Edinburgh, talk to the Lord Provost of Edinburgh, Sir James Miller, at The Meadows, Edinburgh, where each had planted a tree
Seated in her carriage with the Duke of Edinburgh, Queen Elizabeth receives the key to Edinburgh Castle from the Governor, Lieutenant General Sir Colin M. Barber
The Queen is seen at a garden party at the Palace of Holyroodhouse in Edinburgh on her state visit to Scotland after her coronation
The Queen with Prince Philip during their six-day visit to Scotland to mark her coronation
The origins of the scepter are less clear, but it is believed to date from the reign of King James IV.
Although the Queen received the original Scottish Sword of State in St Giles’ Cathedral, it was deemed too fragile for King Charles’s ceremony today, so a new one was made.
The Elizabeth Sword cost £22,000 to make and is more than twice the weight of the Sword of State carried by the Leader of the House of Commons Penny Mordaunt at the coronation in May.
The Elizabeth Sword will be presented to Charles by the Scottish Olympian Dame Katherine Grainger.