King and Queen to Attend Opening Ceremony
King Charles III and Queen Camilla will attend the opening of the seventh session of the Scottish Parliament on Saturday, with the debating chamber hosting pageantry and poetry readings. The ceremony, broadcast live from 11:30 am, marks the beginning of the new parliamentary session since the parliament's establishment in 1999.
Procession and Pageantry
The day will begin with the Crown of Scotland being escorted down the Royal Mile from Edinburgh Castle before being taken into Parliament alongside the Elizabeth Sword through a guard of honour made up of young people. Following the arrival of Charles and Camilla in the debating chamber, the ceremony will commence with a fanfare performed by the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland brass ensemble.
The mace, Crown, and sword will be carried into the chamber in a procession featuring three Team Scotland athletes preparing for the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow this summer. The mace will be carried by Robert White, an administrator at the Parliament, while boxer Nicholas Devlin will carry the Elizabeth Sword, accompanied by para track athlete Joanna Robertson and Beth Riva, who competes in bowls.
Addresses and Performances
Presiding Officer Kenneth Gibson will give opening remarks before King Charles addresses the chamber to formally open the parliamentary session. First Minister John Swinney will respond to the King's address. The Parliament's piper, MSP Stuart McMillan, will conclude the event with a performance in the members' garden featuring Bonnie Dundee and A Hundred Pipers.
The ceremony will also include musical performances from the National Youth Choir of Scotland, celebrating its 30th anniversary, and the National Theatre of Scotland, marking its 20th anniversary. The theatre will present "As Others See Us," written and directed by Martin O'Connor, incorporating a poem and an excerpt from its production "Through The Shortbread Tin" performed by members of The Lyceum Youth Theatre.
Poetry and Music
Scotland's Makar Pàdraig MacAoidh will deliver a poem in Gaelic titled "Let This Hall Be Full Of Noises." Harpist Rachel Groves and vocalist Ellie Beaton, winners of the BBC Radio Scotland Young Traditional Musician of the Year, will perform Robert Burns's "Ae Fond Kiss."
Community Heroes and Youth Involvement
Following the ceremony, the King and Queen will meet local heroes nominated by MSPs for their extraordinary contribution to local communities. Caitlin Davis, 20, a PE student at the University of Edinburgh, is part of the guard of honour for the Crown. She has been promoting sport among young people through a Sportscotland panel. Ms Davis said: "I just think team sports have so much to offer young people – like learning how to communicate and just how to let loose." She added: "It's going to be incredible to be a part of it, I'm looking forward to it."
