King Charles III and Queen Camilla took part in a ceremony in Edinburgh in honor of their recent coronation on Wednesday, greeted in the Scottish capital by a crowd of supporters and some anti-monarchy campaigners.
• Read also: Harry and Meghan have vacated their home near Windsor Castle
• Read also: Prince Louis charms crowds at King Charles III’s birthday parade
• Read also: Charles III on horseback for his first birthday parade
As tradition dictates, the royal couple left Holyroodhouse Palace in procession to attend a religious service in St. Giles Cathedral.
The attributes of royal power in Scotland – the Crown of Scotland, the Scepter and the Sword of State, known as “the Honors of Scotland” – were presented to the Sovereign.
AFP
Thousands of people had gathered to watch the royal couple, accompanied by Prince William and his wife Kate, pass as 21 cannons were fired from the ramparts of Edinburgh Castle.
AFP
Scotland holds a special place for the British royal family, where the late Queen Elizabeth II regularly stayed and where she died in September at her Balmoral castle.
But support for the monarchy is weaker in Scotland, led by an independence government, than in the whole of the UK.
If the Scottish Prime Minister Humza Yousaf, openly republican, was present at the cathedral, several elected representatives of the Scottish Nationalist Party (SNP) criticized the ceremony.
And as in Charles III’s previous trips to the country since his accession to the throne, the king was also greeted by anti-monarchy activists, “Not My King” signs in hand.
AFP
The advent of Charles, less popular than his late mother, Queen Elizabeth II, awakened the republican current in the country.
During his coronation on May 6, hundreds of pro-Republic demonstrators gathered in Trafalgar Square to demand the abolition of the monarchy.
Six activists from the Republic group, including its leader Graham Smith, were arrested before being released at the end of the day, sparking criticism of police action.