Queen Elizabeth And Prince William Welcomed To Scotland With The Ancient Ceremony Of The Keys

Jun 29, 2021 by apost team

Queen Elizabeth has started an official royal tour of Scotland. Royals have been doing official tours for over a century. In fact, one of the first photographs of a royal tour dates back to 1900, when Queen Victoria visited Dublin, Ireland. The tradition has been followed for generations, and as the royal family modernizes, royal tours serve as a way for the monarchy to present themselves to the rest of the world. From South Africa to Canada to New Zealand to India, royal tours are also often used to introduce new queens and kings to their subjects. For example, Queen Elizabeth II's 1954 tour has been regarded as one of the most ambitious royal tours of all time. With the intent of introducing the new queen, Elizabeth and the Duke of Edinburgh visited Bermuda, Jamaica, Fiji, New Zealand, Australia, and Tonga, among other countries, during a six-month trip. 

Now that the queen's beloved husband, Prince Philip, has passed away, she will no longer be accompanied by him on royal tours. However, the queen has not traveled alone. For her royal tour of Scotland this week, the queen will be joined by her daughter the Princess Royal, Princess Anne, and has already been accompanied by her grandson, the Duke of Cambridge, Prince William. The four-day visit marks Royal Week, and the queen will engage in various activities celebrating Scottish history, community, and innovation.

Yesterday the queen and Prince William have arrived, and they were welcomed with the ancient tradition known as the Ceremony of the Keys. 

Queen Elizabeth was joined by Prince William — or as he's known in Scotland: the Earl of Strathearn — on the first day of her visit on June 28. Princess Anne will then accompany her mother for the royal outings on Wednesday, June 30, and Thursday, July 1. Queen Elizabeth will visit businesses, cultural institutions, and charities in places such as Edinburgh, Glasgow, and Stirling. The various visits will center around highlighting the pioneering work that Scotland is doing in regards to education, technology, combatting climate change, and furthering community engagement. The tour is typically an annual visit for the queen, as she traditionally does a series of public engagements in Scotland around the end of June or the beginning of July. 

However, due to government guidelines and restrictions last year, the queen did not travel to Scotland for Royal Week. This year, the large-scale events that normally are hosted at the queen's residence will not take place, including the annual Garden Party. Under normal circumstances, Garden Party typically welcomes 8,000 people from all areas of Scottish life to spend an afternoon with the queen on palace grounds. Traditionally, the party features live music from regimental bands and The Royal Scottish Pipers Society. 

The Holyrood Week also sometimes includes what's known as the Thistle Service at St. Giles' Cathedral, but this year it has yet to be announced. Despite Prince Philip's passing in April of this year, the queen is continuing on with her royal duties, but luckily she has her grandson and daughter by her side. The queen's soft diplomacy will hopefully once again reinforce ties between Great Britain and Scotland. 

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According to tradition, the Ceremony of the Keys takes place in Holyrood Palace, Edinburgh, at the start of the British monarch's week-long royal tour visit to Scotland. It usually happens at the end of June or the beginning of July, and the queen is symbolically handed the keys to the city on a red velvet cushion with gold braided fringe by the Lord Provost.

This year, Queen Elizabeth looked radiant in a light blue ensemble with her grandson Prince William accompanying her. 

After the ceremony, the queen and Prince William spoke to volunteers and key workers inside the palace. They even spoke to the senior contracts and grants manager with Edinburgh council, Mollie Kerr. According to Evening Standard, Kerr said:

"They were very interested in what we've been doing. Not just work, how we were all managing, how we'd worked together, what home and family life had been like, what the impact had been. Prince William particularly was asking about small children bursting in on team calls."

The royals also spoke to housing supervisor for temporary accommodation with the council Kaleigh Wood, who is currently trying to tackle homelessness. Wood said:

"It was amazing, I felt really privileged. I was able to tell her about the good work the council's been doing. They were asking what kind of things we'd done, what we'd implemented to try and reduce homelessness. They were both really supportive."

During the second leg of the tour, the queen will be joined by her daughter Princess Anne instead of Prince William. Although this is the first royal tour after Philip's passing, we're happy to see the queen smiling and carrying out her royal duties. 

What do you think of the Ceremony of the Keys? Let us know your thoughts and be sure to pass this on to your loved ones!