Why King Charles III is having another coronation in Scotland

The Honours of Scotland jewels are made up of a crown, sceptre and sword of state

King Charles III is crowned with St Edward's Crown by the Archbishop of Canterbury during his coronation ceremony at Westminster Abbey, London. Reuters
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The British King Charles III will have another coronation service on Wednesday – this time in Scotland – after a royal procession in Edinburgh. However, there will be no crowning moment.

At the ceremony in St Giles' Cathedral, he will be presented with the Honours of Scotland, which are Scotland’s crown jewels and the oldest crown jewels in Britain. The Stone of Destiny will be inside the cathedral for the ceremony.

King Charles will follow Queen Elizabeth II in being ceremoniously presented with the Honours of Scotland, but the crown will not be placed on his head.

The Scottish jewels are made up of the James V crown, sceptre and the sword of state.

A new sword, called The Elizabeth, will fill the gap left by the previous sword of state, which has deteriorated in recent years and is increasingly fragile.

Prior to Elizabeth's coronation in 1953, the last time the Scottish ceremony was held was in 1822 during a visit by King George IV.

About 100 people will take part in a procession from Edinburgh Castle to St Giles's to mark the official Scottish celebrations for the coronation of King Charles and Camilla.

The procession will be escorted by the Royal Regiment of Scotland and a Shetland pony mascot called Corporal Cruachan IV.

William and Kate, usually known as the Prince and Princess of Wales, will attend the service. In Scotland, they are referred to as the Duke and Duchess of Rothesay.

The People's Procession will start from Edinburgh Castle at 1.15pm. The royal procession will leave the Palace of Holyroodhouse at 2.05pm.

Ten minutes later, at 2.15pm, the National Service of Thanksgiving and Dedication begins at St Giles' Cathedral.

Afterwards, there will be a gun salute at Edinburgh Castle and a flypast by the Red Arrows.

Edinburgh City Council has said those wishing to see the processions should plan ahead.

"The eyes of the world will be upon us once again as we mark the coronation of His Majesty King Charles III and Her Majesty Queen Camilla,” Lord Lieutenant Robert Aldridge said.

"Given the scale and significance of these ceremonial events, we have to be prepared for disruption across the city, but particularly in the Old Town.

"For those who wish to enjoy the Royal and People's Processions, I urge you to please plan ahead and keep an eye on our website and social media channels for the latest advice and guidance."

Scottish First Minister Humza Yousaf said: “I look forward to representing the people of Scotland at this historic event.”

Two anti-monarch groups, Our Republic and Republic, are planning protests in Edinburgh for Wednesday.

The ceremony is a key part of Charles and Camilla’s Royal Week in Scotland.

Each year the monarch traditionally spends a week based at the Palace of Holyroodhouse in Edinburgh.

What else is happening this week?

The couple are in Scotland from Monday to Thursday.

On Monday, they will attend the traditional Ceremony of the Keys at the Palace of Holyroodhouse.

On Tuesday, the king will view the Jubilee Gates at the entrance to Abbey Yard, commissioned last year to mark Queen Elizabeth II’s platinum jubilee.

On Thursday, Charles and Camilla will visit The Great Tapestry of Scotland visitor's centre in Galashiels.

Updated: July 03, 2023, 1:42 PM