Crowds flock to see Prince William become Knight of the Thistle

• In Pictures: Prince William joins the Order of the Thistle>>

This historic event saw the prince receive his 30th birthday present from his grandmother – being installed as a Knight of the Thistle in the city’s St Giles’ Cathedral.

Thousands crowded on to the Royal Mile to catch a glimpse of William and Kate – known as the Earl and Countess of Strathearn while in Scotland – and other royals as they made their way from the Signet Library, across Parliament Square and into the cathedral.

Among the spectators was Marie Harkness, 26, from the Meadows.

She said: “It’s a great spectacle and adds so much to the city. It really does make you think about Edinburgh’s rich history.”

Hugh David, 60, from Sighthill, added: “William and Kate have helped modernise the royal family and both seem to have that common touch.”

The short ceremony took place within the internal Thistle Chapel and was broadcast through speakers to the hundreds of invited guests in the cathedral.

Following the ceremony, a lunch was held in the Signet Library while 400 pipers, drummers and dancers led a parade down the Royal Mile to Holyrood.

Many members of the crowd had waited for more than two hours, since the end of the Thistle service, to catch a further glimpse of them, many waving Union flags and Saltires as the Queen and Duke of Edinburgh, as well as William and Kate, passed by in their official cars.

Thistle do nicely

The Order of the Thistle, motto Nemo Me Impune Lacesit (No One Provokes Me With Impunity), is said in some accounts to have been founded by Achaius,King of Scots.

He is said to have established the order in 786.

Previously, the only women members were the Queen, who is head of the order, and the Queen Mother. Former Christian Aid chair Lady Marion Fraser of Gifford then became the first woman from outside the royal family to be appointed. The Princess Royal was conferred with the Order in 2001.

‘ODD COLOUR COMBINATION FOR THE COUNTESS’

SARAH Tolan, who edits Edinburgh-based fashion website www.kates-wardrobe.com, casts her expert eye over yesterday’s outfit.

Kate, the Queen of Rewear, couldn’t quite kick her recycling habit for the event, wearing a mixture of old and new. New was the yellow coat, by New Zealand-born designer Emilia Wickstead, a bespoke piece. Old was the cappuccino-coloured hat by Luton-based milliner Whiteley, spotted by Kate fans twice before.

On her feet were the brown shoes by British brand Emmy, worn for the St Patrick’s Day parade in March this year. From her ears hung citrine drops by one of her favourite jewellers, Kiki McDonough.

The colour choice was a surprise. Yellow isn’t a colour we’ve seen much of her wear before. The last yellow outfit appearance was on the royal tour of Canada last year. Then it was the yellow Jenny Packham and it was called primrose. This was more golden and there were no sartorial nods to Scottish designers as there have been in the past – green for St Patrick’s Day or Erdem to touch down in Canada. However, Kate did clutch the Strathearn tartan scarf in her hands, the same one from the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee river pageant.

Emilia Wickstead is proving to be a popular choice by the Countess of Strathearn. In June, a bespoke pink dress by the designer was worn by Kate to two consecutive events. Although London-based Emilia has long way to go before matching Kate’s sartorial love of Alexander McQueen, the elegant cut and clean lines is an obvious choice for Kate.

The verdict? Whilst the yellow was pretty, pairing it with brown was an odd choice and the colour combination wasn’t going down well amongst Kate fans online. Overall, was it perhaps a tad matronly for Kate?