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King Charles's incredible gift for wife Queen Camilla ahead of Scottish coronation

The Scottish coronation for King Charles and Queen Camilla will take place on 5 July


Queen Camilla and King Charles in blue and waving
Matthew Moore
Online News Writer & Diversity and Inclusion Lead
On 16 June 2023
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King Charles and Queen Camilla will have a second coronation on 5 July when the pair will be crowned in a special Scottish ceremony and presented with the Honours of Scotland.

And ahead of the major event for the royal couple, the monarch has gifted his wife with an incredible honour. In a statement from Buckingham Palace, it was confirmed that Camilla had been appointed to the Order of the Thistle, which is Scotland's greatest order of chivalry. The statement read: "The King has been graciously pleased to appoint the Queen to the Most Ancient and Most Noble Order of the Thistle."

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The title is held by other senior royals, including the King's sister, Princess Anne, and the heir to the throne, Prince William, with the pair joining the order in 2000 and 2012 respectively. The monarch is in charge of who is appointed to the Order, and it recognises those who hold public office or contribute significantly to national life.

The order can have up to 16 knights, with two of the positions having fallen vacant. Before Camilla, the most recent appointments to the Order were Lady Elish Angiolini, a former lord advocate of Scotland, and Sir George Reid, a former MSP and presiding officer of the Scottish Parliament.

King Charles and Queen Camilla in a kilt and tartan© WPA Pool
The pair will visit Scotland for the first time since the coronation

Charles and Camilla will be heading to Scotland for their first official visit since the coronation, in order to mark Holyrood Week, with their second coronation just one of many scheduled events.

The King and Queen will also host a garden party in Edinburgh, alongside other engagements that are yet to be expected. The service is expected to be held in St Giles's Cathedral, where the late Queen was initially laid to rest following her death on 8 September.

Prince William in blue feather hat© Max Mumby/Indigo
William is a member of the Order of the Thistle

During the service, the King will be presented with the Scottish Crown Jewels, which are formally known as the Honours of Scotland. The Honours are the oldest surviving Crown Jewels in Great Britain and date back to the middle of the 16th century. The Scottish crown, sword of state, and sceptre will be used during the coronation service.

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Charles' Scottish coronation isn't the only exciting event coming up for the monarch, as on Saturday, Trooping the Colour will be held as his official birthday parade.

King Charles III, accompanied by Princess Anne, the Princess Royal, presents the new Sovereign's Standard to The Blues and Royals during a ceremony at Buckingham Palace on June 15, 2023© Getty
Charles will mark his first Trooping of the Colour as monarch on Saturday

The King's birthday is actually on 14 November, but during the reign of King Edward VII, who was born on 8 November, the official birthday parade was moved to the warmer summer months in order to allow for the chance of better weather.

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Over 1,400 parading soldiers, 200 horses and 400 musicians are expected to take part in the display of military precision, horsemanship and fanfare. The parade travels from Buckingham Palace down The Mall to Horse Guards Parade, and closes with a Royal Air Force fly-past.

The ceremony will end with a military flypast© Getty
The ceremony will end with a military flypast

The King and Queen will be joined by other senior members of the family, with Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis expected to feature in the carriage procession alongside the Princess of Wales.

Meanwhile, Prince William will be riding with Princess Anne and the Duke of Edinburgh on horseback, as they join the King for the ceremony. This will be the first time that a monarch has ridden on horseback for the ceremony since 1986.

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