King Charles III (77) opened the seventh session of the Scottish Parliament in Edinburgh on Saturday. By his side: Queen Camilla (78). Both appeared in traditional Scottish attire at the Holyrood building - the King in a kilt, the Queen in a bright red skirt, along with a khaki green jacket and a matching hat, as the magazine "Hello!" reports.
Before the ceremonial act, the Scottish Crown was carried from Edinburgh Castle down the Royal Mile to Parliament, accompanied by the Elizabeth Sword and a guard of honor composed of young people. Inside, the Crown, Mace, and Sword entered the chamber in a procession - carried among others by three athletes from "Team Scotland" who will compete at the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow this summer.
Charles' "warmest wishes" for the new session
Following the opening words from Presiding Officer Kenneth Gibson, the monarch took the floor to officially open the new legislative period. It gave him "the greatest pleasure" to accompany the new session, Charles said according to the BBC. The Parliament is "a powerful expression of Scotland's democratic tradition". He conveyed his "warmest wishes" for the coming session.
In his response, Scotland's head of government, First Minister John Swinney, emphasized unity: "This Scotland of today is a nation born from diverse identities". The country has the strength to "absorb and withstand every passing storm".
The ceremonial setting was characterized by performances that put Scottish culture in the spotlight. Among others, the National Youth Choir of Scotland and the NYCOS BSL Youth Choir performed. The National Theatre of Scotland, which celebrates its 20th anniversary this year, performed a piece. To conclude, Parliament piper Stuart McMillan played "Bonnie Dundee" and "A Hundred Pipers" in the garden of the house.
After the ceremony, the King and Queen met "local heroes" nominated by the members of parliament - people who have made outstanding contributions to their communities. Among them was four-year-old Gregor Corse from the Orkney Islands, the youngest "local hero" ever. He had raised 70,000 pounds for charitable causes by walking laps around his house - supported by a walking frame.
The appearance fits into Royal Week, that time at the end of June and beginning of July that the British monarch traditionally spends in Scotland. The fact that the opening takes place right at the start of the summer recess is related to tradition, according to the BBC: The first Scottish Parliament was ceremonially opened on July 1, 1999 - the day it received its powers. Charles last visited Parliament in September 2024 for its 25th anniversary.
In the summer heat, a side note was unavoidable: According to the BBC, several soldiers performing ceremonial duties had to be taken inside the building during the ceremony after feeling unwell.
