Prince William has been welcomed to the Palace of Holyroodhouse in a traditional ceremony as a week of engagements in Scotland got under way.
William arrived in Edinburgh on May 21st 2021 and formally began his stay with the Ceremony of the Keys at Holyroodhouse.
The ceremony sees the keys of the city of Edinburgh handed over symbolically before being returned to the Provost. It was held to mark the beginning of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland where William will take on the role of Lord High Commissioner, representing the Queen. The Ceremony of the Keys is usually held for this event and when the Monarch arrives for Scotland week which was held in mid summer, before the coronavirus pandemic.
William, who is known as the Earl of Strathearn in Scotland, inspected the Guard of Honour at Holyroodhouse. It was provided by the Royal Regiment of Scotland with the Pipes and Drums of the Royal Scots Dragoon Guards and the Band of the Royal Regiment of Scotland providing support.
The Earl of Strathearn is set to carry out a wide range of engagements during his stay. As Lord High Commissioner of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland, he will give speeches at the opening and closing ceremonies and will spend time with clergy to hear how they have adapted during the coronavirus pandemic. On May 24th, he will be joined by the Countess of Strathearn and over the following days their diary includes their first joint trip to the Orkney Islands and a visit to St. Andrew’s University, where they first met.
