The Royal Family will travel to Scotland next week for the annual Royal Week celebrations, scheduled to run from Tuesday 30th June through Friday 3rd July 2026.
The King and Queen will be joined by Prince William and the Duke of Edinburgh for a programme of ceremonial and celebratory events across four days.
The Palace of Holyroodhouse in Edinburgh will serve as the central venue for much of the week’s activities.
Key engagements include the traditional Ceremony of the Keys, which signals the formal commencement of Royal Week, followed by an Investiture hosted by the King.
The King and Queen will be joined by Prince William and the Duke of Edinburgh for a programme of ceremonial and celebratory events across four days.
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GETTY
The week will also feature the prestigious Order of the Thistle Service at St Giles’ Cathedral and conclude with a Duke of Edinburgh Gold Award celebration.
Multiple members of the Royal Family are expected to participate in various engagements throughout the visit.
The Ceremony of the Keys will unfold in the gardens of the Palace of Holyroodhouse on the opening day of Royal Week.
The King will first meet with Service Chiefs before receiving a Royal Salute and conducting an inspection of the Guard of Honour, provided by Balaklava Company, 5th Battalion Royal Regiment of Scotland.
The Lord Provost of Edinburgh will then formally present the city’s keys to The King, who will subsequently return them for safekeeping.
Multiple members of the Royal Family are expected to participate in various engagements throughout the visit.
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GETTY
Musical accompaniment will come from The Band of the Royal Regiment of Scotland alongside the Pipes and Drums of the 2nd Battalion.
The Royal Company of Archers, serving as The King’s Bodyguard for Scotland, will also be present on parade, together with F Company of the Scots Guards and the High Constables of the Palace of Holyroodhouse.
Balaklava Company became an independent rifle company on 29th June 2013 and has since deployed to Afghanistan on two occasions.
The Order of the Thistle Service will take place at St Giles’ Cathedral on Wednesday 1st July, with the King, the Queen, Prince William and the Duke of Edinburgh all in attendance.
Upon arrival at the cathedral, the royals will receive a Royal Salute from the Guard of Honour, formed by the Royal Company of Archers, while the National Anthem is performed.
The Minister of St Giles’ Cathedral, along with the Chancellor and Dean of the Order of the Thistle, will greet the royal party.
Scotland’s most distinguished order of chivalry, the Most Ancient and Most Noble Order of the Thistle, recognises sixteen Knights and Ladies who have made significant contributions to national life.
The King serves as Sovereign of the Order, while the Queen, Prince William, the Duke of Edinburgh and the Princess Royal hold positions as Royal Knights.
Women became eligible for membership on equal terms with men following a decision by Queen Elizabeth II in 1987.
The Duke of Edinburgh will bring Royal Week to a close on Friday 3rd July by hosting a celebration for Duke of Edinburgh Gold Award recipients in the gardens of the Palace of Holyroodhouse.
The King will first meet with Service Chiefs before receiving a Royal Salute and conducting an inspection of the Guard of Honour, provided by Balaklava Company, 5th Battalion Royal Regiment of Scotland.
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PA
The Royal Company of Archers, which serves as the Sovereign’s ceremonial bodyguard in Scotland, will play a prominent role throughout the week’s events.
This historic body has fulfilled its protective function since 1822, when King George IV visited Scotland and the role was first established.
Members of the Royal Company undertake duties at state occasions and ceremonial events north of the border, including the annual Garden Party at Holyroodhouse, where approximately 120 archers form avenues for guests to meet members of the Royal Family.
The Company also maintains a presence at Investitures held at the Palace and attends ceremonies presenting new Colours to Scottish regiments.