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Prince William supports the Queen at the Order of the Thistle cermony

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The Queen led the British royals at the Knights of the Thistle ceremony in Edinburgh on Thursday. 

Supported by her grandson Prince William, daughter Princess Anne and husband Prince Philip.

Britain's monarch took part in the age-old service at St Giles' Cathedral.

Starting the procession from the Scottish capital's Signet Library, the Queen, Anne, William and Philip made their way along the Royal Mile, which was lined with well-wishers.

Queen Elizabeth II © Photo: Getty Images

A majestic fanfare and a mounted guard of honour greeted the royals as they entered the cathedral, while the band of the Royal Regiment of Scotland played in West Parliament Square. 

Thursday's ceremony saw Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth Games chairman Lord Smith of Kelvin and Conservative peer and former Coutts bank chairman the Earl of Home installed as Knights of the Thistle, Scotland's highest national honour.

Prince William © Photo: Getty Images

The Order of the Thistle is an award bestowed on men and women who have held public office or made a significant contribution to national life and is second in precedence only to the UK's Order of the Garter.

Proud Duchess by William's side as he receives historic Scottish honour  Princess Anne was invested in the Order of the Thistle in June 2001 while Prince William, who holds the title of the Earl of Strathearn in Scotland, was installed in 2012.

Prince William1 © Photo: PA

Following the service the royals headed to Holyrood Palace, the Queen's official residence in Scotland, where the monarch hosted a lunch and then a reception in the Great Hall. 

The quartet later attended the dedication of a new memorial garden in the castle grounds, where the Queen unveiled a plaque made up of metals donated by the armed forces to mark the centenary of the First World War.

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