Her Majesty’s annual Holyrood Week officially started on Monday with the traditional Ceremony of the Keys held at the Palace of Holyroodhouse.
The Queen, accompanied by the Duke of Cambridge (who is known as the Earl of Strathearn in Scotland), inspected the Guard of Honour on the forecourt of the palace before being welcomed to Edinburgh by the Lord Provost. He offered Her Majesty the keys of the city on a red velvet cushion with embroidered thistles.
The ceremony takes place at the beginning of Holyrood Week, also known as Royal Week, which is held at the end of June through early July each year.
During the ancient event, the keys of the city of Edinburgh handed over symbolically to the monarch before being returned to the Lord Provost of Edinburgh.
The Guard of Honour for this year’s Ceremony of the Keys was provided by the Balaklava Company, The Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders, 5th Battalion The Royal Regiment of Scotland. They were supported by the Pipes and Drums of The Black Watch, 3rd Battalion The Royal Regiment of Scotland and the Band of The Royal Regiment of Scotland.
After the ceremony, The Queen and Earl of Strathearn met local volunteers and first responders to thank them for their efforts during the ongoing public health crisis.
Over the next week, Her Majesty will take on a variety of engagements in Scottish communities and “will visit businesses, charities and cultural institutions that highlight the pioneering work taking place to further community engagement, education, technology and efforts to combat climate change.”
Earlier today The Queen and Prince William kicked off their Scotland tour by visiting the Irn-Bru factory to see where the popular Scottish soft drink is manufactured.
