Prince William and Princess Kate will join the King and Queen in Scotland for Royal Week, attending the special ceremony at St Giles’ Cathedral on Wednesday.
But did you know that William and Kate, both 41, have different royal titles in Scotland?
After their marriage in 2011, the couple were given the titles, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, by the late Queen Elizabeth II. They were also made the Earl and Countess of Strathearn, and the Baron and Baroness of Carrickfergus – their respective titles in Scotland and Northern Ireland.
However, after Charles acceded to the throne in September 2022, William and Kate were created the Prince and Princess of Wales.
It’s a dukedom that dates back to 1398 when David Stewart, the son of Robert III of Scotland, first held the title.
During Wednesday’s special ceremony of thanksgiving, Charles will be presented with the Honours of Scotland – the nation’s crown jewels.
Every year the monarch traditionally spends a week based at the Palace of Holyroodhouse in Edinburgh, known as Holyrood Week or Royal Week in Scotland.
On Monday, the King will participate in the Ceremony of the Keys on the palace forecourt where he is presented with the keys to the city.
Charles and Camilla are also expected to visit the Great Tapestry of Scotland, seeing a newly stitched panel dedicated to the couple.
In the evening, His Majesty will attend a reception on the Royal Yacht Britannia, to mark 25 years since her arrival in Edinburgh.
Why is Scotland Unique to the royal family?
The late Queen Elizabeth II had a deep connection to Scotland, spending summers at Balmoral in Aberdeenshire and Glamis Castle in Angus from her early childhood.
When she became queen, she would host her family during the summer months at Balmoral, including grandchildren and great-grandchildren.
In the ITV documentary, Our Queen at Ninety in 2016, Princess Eugenie spoke about her family’s affection for Balmoral. “It’s the most beautiful place on earth,” she said.
She went on to say: “I think Granny is the happiest there, I think she really, really loves the Highlands… Walks, picnics, dogs – a lot of dogs, there are always dogs! And people coming in and out all the time. Family-wise we’re all there, so it’s a lovely base for Granny and Grandpa to be – for us to come and see them up there, where you just have room to breathe and run.”
In 2021, Queen Elizabeth II attended the Scottish Parliament’s opening ceremony without Prince Philip, who died earlier in the year aged 99, for the first time.
In her address, she said: “I have spoken before of my deep and abiding affection for this wonderful country and of the many happy memories Prince Philip and I always held of our time here. It is often said that it is the people that make a place and there are few places where this is truer than it is in Scotland, as we have seen in recent times.”
The late Queen was staying at Balmoral at the time of her death in September 2022.
Scotland has also played to some royal nuptials, including the Princess Royal, who wed her second husband, Vice Admiral Sir Tim Laurence, at Crathie Kirk in 1992, and Anne’s daughter, Zara Phillips, who married rugby star Mike Tindall, at Canongate Kirk in Edinburgh in 2011.
