King Charles Opens Seventh Session of Scottish Parliament
King Charles III and Queen Camilla attended the opening of the new Scottish Parliament on Saturday, June 27, 2026, in a ceremony filled with pageantry, poetry readings, and musical performances. The event marked the beginning of the seventh session of the Scottish Parliament since its establishment in 1999 and was broadcast live.
The day began 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. The procession featured three Team Scotland athletes preparing for the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow this summer: boxer Nicholas Devlin carried the Elizabeth Sword, accompanied by para track athlete Joanna Robertson and bowls competitor Beth Riva.
Ceremony Highlights and Speeches
Following the arrival of Charles and Camilla in the debating chamber, the ceremony started with a fanfare performed by the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland brass ensemble. The mace, Crown, and sword were carried in a procession that included Robert White, an administrator at the Parliament, carrying the mace. The Crown of Scotland was carried by the Duke of Hamilton and Brandon, escorted by the Lord Lyon King of Arms.
Presiding Officer Kenneth Gibson gave opening remarks, followed by King Charles, who addressed the chamber to formally open the parliamentary session. He said it was "the greatest pleasure" to open the session and described Holyrood as a "powerful expression of Scotland's democratic tradition."
First Minister John Swinney responded to the King's address, stating: "We are a new parliament, with new faces, and new mandates; People filled with new hopes and ambitions for this nation we all love." He welcomed "Charles, King of Scots," and added: "This Scotland of today is a nation born of multiple identities."
Performances and Community Involvement
The ceremony included musical performances by the National Youth Choir of Scotland, celebrating its 30th anniversary, and the National Theatre of Scotland, marking its 20th anniversary. The National Youth Choir performed Sarah Quartel's The Beat Of A Different Drum, while the National Theatre presented As Others See Us, written and directed by Martin O'Connor, incorporating a poem and an excerpt from Through The Shortbread Tin performed by The Lyceum Youth Theatre.
Poetry was also featured, with Scotland's Makar Pàdraig MacAoidh delivering 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, performed Robert Burns's Ae Fond Kiss.
The Parliament's piper, MSP Stuart McMillan, closed the event with a performance of Bonnie Dundee and A Hundred Pipers in the members' garden.
Local Heroes and Youth Participation
Following the ceremony, the King and Queen met local heroes nominated by MSPs for their "extraordinary contribution" to local communities. Caitlin Davis, a 20-year-old PE student at the University of Edinburgh, was part of the guard of honour for the Crown. She helps promote sport among young people through a Sportscotland panel. 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. I’m just so lucky now because this summer is rife with sport in so many different ways. To be able to come to an amazing event like this from a sports lens is so cool." She added: "It’s going to be incredible to be a part of it, I’m looking forward to it."
The Officers of Arms was joined by young people from organisations including the Scottish Youth Parliament, RNIB Scotland, and the Young Women's Movement.
