Prince William and Princess Kate have a jam-packed schedule with official engagements, and next month the couple are set to depart for Scotland for a series of special events.
The Scottish government has released the news that “Scotland will mark the Coronation of His Majesty King Charles III and Her Majesty Queen Camilla during Royal Week in Edinburgh on Wednesday 5 July.”
As well as their majesties, William and Kate will be in attendance for various events. The special week will include a royal procession, a 21-gun salute and of course a meeting with the iconic Shetland pony mascot Corporal Cruachan IV.
Lance Corporal Cruachan IV is the Royal Regiment of Scotland’s mascot and has previously tried to eat the late Queen’s flowers and nibbled at Prince Harry’s fingers when he and Meghan Markle, visited Edinburgh in 2018. We wonder what the cheeky pony will get up to this time around!
There has been no mention of the ceremony of the keys, which is something the late Queen Elizabeth II used to do when she attended Royal Week.
As part of the tradition, the monarch is symbolically handed the keys of the city by the Lord Provost and tradition dictates he/she then returns them, entrusting their safekeeping to Edinburgh’s elected officials.
The person conducting the ceremony says: “We, the serving members of Your Majesty’s armed forces, bound by our oath to you, your heirs and successors, offer for your gracious acceptance the key to Your Majesty’s Royal Castle of Edinburgh.”
The Queen used to respond: “I return this key to the safekeeping of My Governor of Edinburgh Castle, in gratitude for the symbolic act of loyalty of our armed forces, confident of your faithful allegiance to your oath.”
