[ad_1]
It has been a busy week of engagements since she took up residence at the Palace of Holyrood house on Monday.
At 92, the monarch has been trying to slow down and gradually hand over responsibilities to her younger relatives.
But in the past few weeks, and particularly in Holyrood Week over the last few days, she has taken on a remarkable workload for her age.
In the previous week she had to pull out of a service at St Paul’s Cathedral after going down with a summer cold.
On top of her public engagements and audiences with dignitaries recorded in the Court Circular, she will still have had to spend part of each day on correspondence and studying Government papers delivered to her in royal red boxes.
At the ceremony in St Giles’, she was joined by the Duke of Cambridge – who is known in Scotland as The Earl of Strathearn – and Princess Anne, who, along with Prince Charles and now retired Duke of Edinburgh, is a royal knight of the order.
The businessman and philanthropist Sir Ian Wood and Sir Richard Scott, the Duke of Buccleuch and Queensberry, were installed as new knights of the order, which is limited to 16 companions and the royal knights.
Hundreds lined Edinburgh’s Royal Mile in the sun to catch a glimpse of the Royal Family arriving at the cathedral wearing the order’s traditional green silk velvet mantles lined with white silk taffeta and their black velvet hats plumed with white feathers.
A guard of honour was mounted at the cathedral door by the Royal Company of Archers, the Queen’s bodyguard for Scotland, while the band of the Royal Regiment of Scotland played in West Parliament Square.
During the ceremony Sir Ian, best known for his work in the North Sea oil industry with the Wood Group, and Sir Richard, one of Britain’s largest landowners, took the oath of the Order before hundreds of invited guests.
Sir Ian, 75, said: “I am really honoured by this personal recognition from Her Majesty the Queen, which I share with the many very talented, committed and enterprising people I’ve worked with in my life across business, public life and in my more recent philanthropic activities in Scotland and in Africa.
“It is also deservedly shared with my beloved family.”
The service lasted about 45 minutes and featured music by the choir of St Giles’ Cathedral before the procession left the church to return to the nearby Signet Library for a reception and then lunch at Holyroodhouse. Established in 1687 by James II of England and VII of Scotland, the Order of the Thistle is second only in precedence in the UK to the Order of the Garter. It honours men and women who have held public office or who have contributed in a significant way to national life. Its motto is Nemo me impune lacessit – No one provokes me with impunity.
[ad_2]
