Joseph Morrow CBE KStJ KC DL FRSE, the Lord Lyon King of Arms read the Proclamation to a gathered crowd from the top of the Mercat Cross at 12 on Sunday. This tells Scotland that Charles III is now King following the death of his mother, Her Majesty The Queen.
The proclamation was also read out in Cardiff, Belfast and other locations across the Commonwealth at midday on Sunday.
The important part of what the Lord Lyon said is as follows: “We now hereby with one voice and consent of tongue and heart, publish and proclaim that the Prince Charles Philip Arthur George, is now, by the death of our late Sovereign of happy memory, become our only lawful and rightful liege lord, Charles III, by the grace of God, of the United Kingdom and Northern Ireland, and of his other realms and territories, King, head of the Commonwealth, defender of the faith, to whom we do acknowledge all faith and obedience with humble affection, beseeching God, by whom kings and queens do reign, to bless His Majesty with long and happy years to reign over us.”
5Scots then played God Save The King with the crowd joining in.
The Royal Company of Archers, judges from The Court of Session stood on one side with politicians including the First Minister, Nicola Sturgeon, the Secretary of State, Alister Jack, the leader of the Scottish Conservatives, Douglas Ross, the leader of the Scottish Labour Party Anas Sarwar and the Leader of the Scottish Liberal Democrats, Alex Cole-Hamilton watching on.
The Dean of the Faculty of Advocates, Roddy Dunlop KC and Peter Mathieson the Vice-Chancellor of the University of Edinburgh stood behind the political leaders and the Lord Lieutenant, Robert Aldridge along with Bailies or councillors stood to one side.
Councillors returned to the City Chambers but the military contingent and the Royal Archers made their way back to the Castle.
Later today the First Minister will attend a party leaders gathering at parliament to observe Her Majesty’s coffin travel to the Palace of Holyroodhouse.
Not everyone is a royalist of course. Before the proclamation was read out the police had already spotted some protesters in the crowd just outside the City Chambers sporting placards about the republic. The small group then had their say with their placards and by shouting and booing in response to the Lord Lyon exclaiming “God Save The King!”. They also booed his appeal for three cheers for the King. Police then bundled one female protester into the quadrangle behind us and were still questioning onlookers as we left the High Street.
Later on Sunday afternoon
At approximately 3:30pm, the cortege is expected to enter the City boundaries from Fife by the Queensferry Crossing over the Firth of Forth – a bridge opened by Her Majesty accompanied by The Duke of Edinburgh five years ago on 4 September 2017 and which runs adjacent to the Forth Road Bridge opened on the same date in 1964 who Her Majesty was driven across in one of the first cars to make the journey.
The cortege will then make its way along Queensferry Road and through Barnton towards Dean Bridge. The journey will take in Queensferry Street and Lothian Road, to Castle Terrace, Johnston Terrace, and the Lawnmarket, before travelling along the Royal Mile. From there the cortege will make its way to the Canongate and through the Abbey Strand Gate to the Palace of Holyroodhouse for 4pm.
Founding Editor of The Edinburgh Reporter.
Edinburgh-born multimedia journalist and iPhoneographer.
