King Charles to receive Scotland's crown jewels in dedication ceremony

Service at St Giles' Cathedral in Edinburgh will mark royal family's long connections to the nation

King Charles III is being presented with Scotland's crown jewels in a ceremony in Edinburgh on Wednesday. AP

Britain's King Charles III and Queen Camilla will receive Scotland's crown jewels on Wednesday in a ceremony marking the Coronation earlier this year.

The dedication ceremony, which takes place in St Giles' Cathedral in Edinburgh, will reflect the British royal family's lasting ties with Scotland.

The monarch and his wife will be presented with the Honours of Scotland, a collection of royal items which include a crown, a sceptre and a sword made of gold, silver and gems.

The Stone of Destiny, an important symbol of Scottish identity which has been used to crown British monarchs for centuries, has also been moved to the cathedral for the festivities.

The event is part of a wider celebration in Scotland of the king's coronation, which took place at Westminster Abbey in London in May.

Hundreds of members of the British armed forces – including the Army, Navy and Royal Air Force – will take part in a procession along the Royal Mile, the Scottish capital's main thoroughfare, before arriving at the cathedral.

The procession will be led by Shetland pony Corporal Cruachan IV, the mascot of The Royal Regiment of Scotland, alongside personnel from The Royal Scots Dragoon Guards and the Army Cadet Force.

A tri-service guard of honour will receive the king and queen at the Palace of Holyroodhouse ahead of the service.

The Elizabeth Sword forms part of the Honours of Scotland and will be presented to the king during the service.

Following the ceremony, the king and queen will be received by another guard of honour before the Royal Artillery fire a 21-gun salute at Edinburgh Castle.

The occasion will also be marked with a fly-past by the RAF Red Arrows over the Royal Mile, but only if the Scottish weather permits.

Organisers are concerned that the proceedings could be targeted by Scottish antiroyalists.

Our Republic, which campaigns for an elected head of state in Scotland, has scheduled a protest rally outside the Scottish parliament at Holyrood to coincide with the events.

“The vast majority of Scotland didn’t care to celebrate the coronation in May, with support for the monarchy at an all-time low in Scotland,” the group said in a statement. “Charles’ perpetual need to celebrate his reign, with all the pomp and pageantry it requires, is a spit in the face to the people struggling with the cost of living.”

Fencing has been erected outside St Giles' Cathedral amid fears anti-royalists will try to disrupt the ceremony. Getty

Scotland's First Minister Humza Yousaf will be there but several high-profile politicians have snubbed the service, including the Scottish Green Party co-leaders Patrick Harvie and Lorna Slater.

Mr Harvie will instead speak at the rally organised by Our Republic.

Former first minister of Scotland Alex Salmond has also declined to attend the service.

The king and queen have long-standing links to Scotland, and spend much of the year at the Balmoral estate in the Scottish Highlands.

Queen Elizabeth II was also a keen admirer of the nation, which was reflected when her coffin was adorned with the Crown of Scotland as it laid in state in St Giles'.

Service personnel last took part in the presentation of the Honours of Scotland in 1953, when they were presented to Queen Elizabeth,

Soon after her death last September, King Charles visited Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales before attending the state funeral in London.

The presentation of the Honours of Scotland marks the dedication of the king and queen in Scotland. Its origins date back to the 1800s, when the honours were presented to King George IV.