King Charles Coronation service: Monarch receives Scottish crown jewels amid booing and chanting from anti-royal protesters

Thousands lined Edinburgh’s historical Royal Mile as ceremonies got under way to present the Scottish crown jewels to King Charles III at a special thanksgiving service in St Giles’ Cathedral.

The massive crowds and the weather were reminiscent of the funeral of his mother nine months ago.

But the atmosphere during this coronation event for King Charles III was rather more rambunctious than the solemnity and respectful quiet of Queen Elizabeth II’s final visit to the Scottish capital.

Demonstrators were out in force, mixed among the locals and tourists who had gathered along the High Street, and the security presence was high.

Flags, banners and placards declaring various views on the monarchy were prominent, while loud booing and chanting of ‘Not my King’ could be heard as officials and dignitaries made their way to the cathedral in Parliament Square.

There was a particularly noisy outburst as the crown jewels were driven down to the Lawnmarket from Edinburgh Castle and few enthusiastic renditions of ‘You can shove your coronation up your a***’, the ‘song’ made famous by Celtic football fans.

There were at least two arrests during the festivities, with two women – aged 20 and 21 – detained in connection with an alleged breach of the peace after reportedly attempting to climb over crowd barriers.

Members of the Glasgow-based pro-monarchy organisation A Force for Good were on the streets outside the city’s High Kirk, as attendees assembled for the service.

The Red Arrows perform a fly past over the Royal Mile for the National Service of Thanksgiving and Dedication for King Charles III and Queen Camilla. Picture: Jamie Williamson/Daily Mail/PA Wire

Speaking to The Scotsman, the group’s director Alistair McConnachie said: “We’re here today for three reasons. One, to welcome King Charles and Queen Camilla to the heart of this great British city of Edinburgh.

"Number two, we’re here to tell Our Republic, which is a London-based group that has come up from England, that they don’t have a right to tell us Scots that we can’t have a king of our own.

“And thirdly, we’re here today to educate about the nature of the Scottish and British monarchy and the extent to which it is descended from the ancient kings of Scotland – going right back to Robert the Bruce and beyond. So it’s fitting that we’re here outside this marvellous cathedral, St Giles’, on this lovely sunny day.”

Visitors Michelle and Paul Penhey, from Yorkshire, were in Edinburgh as a treat to celebrate their fifth wedding anniversary, but had no idea about the coronation events.

The royal procession makes its way up the Royal Mile in Edinburgh to St Giles' Cathedral. Picture: Lisa Ferguson/PA Wire

“My wife got me the trip as a surprise, so I didn’t even know we were coming to Edinburgh,” he said. “And we didn’t know the King was coming, but we thought we would come and pay our respects.”

She added: “We’re up here for the week. I love Charles and I love Camilla. They do a lot for charity. And I especially like William – all the stuff him and Kate are doing. Prince William, he’s trying to help the homeless.

“I can’t say anything bad about him. I just think he’s brilliant and really lovely.”

Fifer Michelle Mackay, who travelled from Kirkcaldy to be part of the historic event, said: “I think it’s great for Scotland.”

Anti-monarchy protesters before for the National Service of Thanksgiving and Dedication for King Charles III and Queen Camilla. Picture: Lisa Ferguson

Friend Meya Phiri, who lives in the capital, added: “I’m a local to Edinburgh and, of course, I cancelled all my plans to come and see the King. I’ll be so happy to see him.”

But amongst the royal supporters there was a much more obvious and louder anti-monarchy contingent, with various groups represented.

Protesters from the campaign group Our Republic had travelled from across the UK to attend the coronation event, while a more local contingent were there with the Scottish rights group Salvo, the campaign arm of independence movement Liberation Scotland.

One man, Jim Love, had set off from Islay on Monday and had been up all night.

Due to the high cost of accommodation in the capital, he was expecting to have to sleep in the street before heading back to the island on Thursday. But he was determined to make his views heard.

“I haven’t slept since 10am yesterday morning,” he said. “I came here because the monarchy is unelected, it’s undemocratic and it’s out of step with modern Britain and Scotland.

“They are meant to represent the people of Scotland and the United Kingdom internationally, but if you had to pick a family to represent us, you couldn’t come up with a less representative family than the royals.

“I think it’s completely outrageous and extravagant amid the cost-of-living crisis, what with a £22,000 sword and everything.

“He’s being presented with the Honours of Scotland, but whose are they to give away? If they are the people of Scotland’s, we have not been asked for permission. And if they are his already, why is he doing all this to give them to himself?

“I think we should have an elected head of state, we could call it a president, that’s fine. But to do so we would have to have a referendum to decide whether we want that.

“If the people of Scotland or the UK decide to keep the monarchy or to keep King Charles as the head of state, then that would be democracy fulfilled. But it’s just that we don’t have that choice.”

Meanwhile, at the other end of the Royal Mile – outside the Palace of Holyroodhouse and the Scottish Parliament – Scottish Greens politicians addressed a rally organised by Our Republic.

The party had publicly declined an invitation to attend the official handing over of the Honours of Scotland.

Speaking at the protest, co-leader Patrick Harvie said he was “proud” to be there rather than at the ceremony, which he later called a “waste of money”.

He said: “I can’t think of anything I would want to celebrate less than the unearned wealth, power and inequality that is represented by the monarchy.

“We are in the most severe cost-of-living crisis for decades, but we are seeing even more luxuries being lavished on some of the wealthiest people in the country.”