The King has installed the Queen and his younger brother the Duke of Edinburgh into the highest order of Scottish chivalry.
Appointments to the historic Order of the Thistle are the personal gift of the King and are not made on the advice of Downing Street, unlike most other honours.
In a service at St Giles’ Cathedral in Edinburgh, the King officially installed Camilla, 76, and Prince Edward, 60, in recognition of their charitable work in Scotland. They were joined by the Prince of Wales, 42, who is known as the Duke of Rothesay in Scotland, and who was made a member of the order by his late grandmother, Queen Elizabeth, in 2012, her diamond jubilee year.
The royal family arrived wearing the traditional mantle of the Order of the Thistle and Thistle Stars and were given the royal salute by the guard of honour while the national anthem was played. The Princess Royal’s name was included in the service booklet; however, she was absent from the service as she continues her recovery at Gatcombe Park, in Gloucestershire, after sustaining head injuries thought to have been caused by a horse.
The Princess of Wales is also away from public duties as her cancer treatment continues.
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Baroness Black of Strome, a forensic anthropologist and author of All That Remains: A Life in Death; the human rights lawyer Baroness Kennedy of The Shaws; and Sir Geoff Palmer, Scotland’s first black professor, were recognised for their contribution to Scotland and installed as ladies and knight of the order.
In a private ceremony, the King said: “It is our pleasure that Her Majesty The Queen be installed a lady of the most ancient and most noble Order of the Thistle.” The Queen was asked to stand to the right of the King and replied: “I shall fortify and defend the Christian religion, and Christ’s most holy Evangel to the utmost of my power.
“I shall be loyal and true to my sovereign lord the King and the members of this order. I shall maintain the honour and dignity of the most ancient and most noble Order of the Thistle to my best power if God let. I shall never bear treason in my heart against our sovereign lord the King, but shall discover the same to him. So defend me God.”
The ancient Order of the Thistle — whose motto is Nemo Me Impune Lacessit (No one provokes me with impunity) — represents the highest honour in Scotland. In 1987 the late Queen updated the order after deciding that women should be eligible as well as men. In 2022, Dame Elish Angiolini, a Scottish lawyer who led the independent inquiry into the murder of Sarah Everard by the off-duty Metropolitan Police officer Wayne Couzens, became a member of the order.
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The King and Queen later attended a celebration at Edinburgh Castle for the City of Edinburgh’s 900th anniversary. In a display of historic pageantry in a modern setting, the King and Queen were received by the Lord Lyon for a short Ceremony of the Key, offering the key to the castle to the King.
They then watched performances from Dance Base, Scotland’s national centre for dance, music from a local accordion player and bhangra dancers. Alexander McCall Smith, an author who was knighted by the King, recited a short poem.
The King and Queen visited some food stalls and were offered two large drams of 52-year-old Macallan whisky from Aberdeen-based distillery Duncan Taylor. Camilla, wearing a mint-cloured Anna Valentine coat, said: “That hits the spot, that hits the spot.”
Evan Robertson, director of Duncan Taylor whisky, a family distillery, said afterwards: “The King was over the moon about the whiskey.”
Kevin Alston, a marketing manager, added: “Camilla was encouraging him. She waited for him to join her and knew he would be cross if she drank it without him.”
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As the wind blew around Edinburgh Castle, Camilla was heard saying: “I’m hanging on to my umbrella.” Charles told one guest: “I hope you don’t get blown away.”
The King is expected to return to England for the general election.
