Two months after the lavish coronation of King Charles III at Westminster Abbey in London, Scotland is set to host its own event to mark the new monarch’s accession to the throne.
Two months after the lavish coronation of King Charles III at Westminster Abbey in London, Scotland is set to host its own event to mark the new monarch’s accession to the throne.
While Charles and Queen Camilla won’t be crowned a second time on Wednesday in Edinburgh, the festivities will include a crown, horse-drawn carriages, mounted cavalry and a flyover by the Red Arrows, the Royal Air Force’s aerobatic display team, as Scotland celebrates its unique relationship with the monarchy.
The focal point of the event is a service of thanksgiving at St. Giles’ Cathedral, where Charles will be presented with the Scottish Honors the crown, scepter and sword of state once used to crown Scotland’s kings and queens.
The Stone of Destiny, an important symbol of Scottish identity, will also be moved to the cathedral for the festivities.
The presence of these icons of Scotland’s nationhood is a mark of respect for a country that is fiercely proud of its history and where the desire of some for independence has never died, even though it has been bound to England and the United Kingdom since 1707.
Scotland’s national government is led by the Scottish National Party, which is calling for a second independence referendum.
It’s not a coronation,’ said George Gross, an expert in coronations at King’s College London. ‘But it’s very symbolic in that Scotland has its own identity.’
Wednesday’s events in Edinburgh are a continuation of Charles’ effort to cement ties with the people of the four nations that make up the United Kingdom as he tries to show that the 1,000-year-old monarchy remains relevant in modern Britain.
