The day started with the Officers and Archers marching from the Palace of Holyroodhouse up to Queensberry House entrance to the Scottish Parliament building. Meanwhile, the Duke of Hamilton who, as Lord of Abernethy is the hereditary bearer of the Crown of Scotland, was bringing the Crown down in a specially-adapted car from Edinburgh Castle, with a guard of honour and military band. On arrival at Queensberry House, the senior herald, Sir Crispin Agnew of Lochnaw QC, Rothesay, moved forward and lifted the crown out before passing it back to the Duke of Hamilton who was now out of the car, and the procession of Officers of Arms and Archers then led the crown through Queensberry House and into the Parliament Building to await the arrival of the Queen and the Duke of Rothesay.
Here is Sir Crispin doing the same duty in 1999 and today:
While the procession waited in a Committee Room with the Crown of Scotland, an object of astonishing power when experienced in such close circumstances, some photographs were taken.
This year there were two simultaneous processions: the Crown Procession, with the Officers of Arms and Royal Company of Archers coming down the stairs into the chamber while HM and HRH entered with the Presiding Officer through the door on the ground floor. All took place to a Fanfare composed and conducted by John Wallace CBE, former Principal of the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland and played by the Conservatoire's brass ensemble. John Wallace was the famous trumpeter who played "Let the Bright Seraphim" with Kiri Te Kanawa at the Duke of Rothesay's first marriage in 1981.
The full event can be viewed HERE.
Correction, there is more in this video of the Procession from the Castle accompanying the Crown of Scotland. This is a magnificent spectacle. There is a shorter one HERE.
