Royal Week continued with The King and Queen zipping up the Royal Mile in a Rolls-Royce to attend a thanksgiving ceremony with beautiful music in St Giles and then dashing back down the hill again to the palace to watch the Red Arrows passing overhead.
700 members of the Armed Forces led the ceremonial elements of the National Service of Thanksgiving on the occasion of the Presentation of the Honours of Scotland to The King and Queen, at St Giles’ Cathedral.
General Officer Scotland and Military Secretary, Major General Bill Wright CBE said: “This is a wonderful day for Scotland and an absolute honour for the British Army in Scotland to play its part alongside the people of this nation.
“The pride the soldiers all feel today, particularly those from Scotland, is clear for all to see. We are inextricably linked to the people of Scotland, the communities from which we recruit and this country’s proud history. To pay our respects to our new sovereign in the heart of Edinburgh is a memory we will never forget.”
Military personnel led a procession along Edinburgh’s Royal Mile that featured 100 members of the public representing all aspects of Scottish life. This was closely followed by personnel from across the Royal Navy, British Army and Royal Air Force who escorted the Crown, the sword and sceptre through the Scottish capital.
This part of the procession included four mounted elements of the SCOTS Dragoon Guards, the Pipes & Drums of Robert Gordon’s Combined Cadet Force (CCF), 51 Brigade Cadet Military Band and the mascot of The Royal Regiment of Scotland (SCOTS), Cpl Cruachan IV a Shetland pony. Also, on parade was Edinburgh Garrison Sergeant Major, Warrant Officer Class 1 (WO1) Ruaridh Tuach SCOTS.
The Scottish and North Irish Yeomanry (SNIY) provided a Quarter Guard in Crown Square as the Honours began their journey to St Giles’ Cathedral, receiving a fanfare from Royal Marine Band (Scotland) as they reached the Drawbridge.
The Tri-Service Guard of Honour (GoH) escorting the Honours was accompanied by The Band of The Royal Regiment of Scotland (Band SCOTS) and included Balaklava Company, 5th Battalion, The Royal Regiment of Scotland (BKA Coy, 5 SCOTS).
Founding Editor of The Edinburgh Reporter.
Edinburgh-born multimedia journalist and iPhoneographer.
