King Charles takes part in Ceremony of the Keys at start of significant week for the royal family

King Charles took part in the Ceremony of the Keys at the Palace of Holyroodhouse in Edinburgh on June 30, Royal Central reported, marking the formal opening of the royal family's annual week of Scottish engagements.

Per the report, the Lord Provost presented His Majesty with the keys to Edinburgh on a velvet cushion to symbolise his arrival in the capital; following tradition, the King laid his hand on the keys before they were ceremonially returned for safekeeping. The Balaklava Company, 5th Battalion of The Royal Regiment of Scotland, was present for inspection, per Royal Central.

The outlet described the rite as one of the oldest and most unusual royal traditions, performed when the monarch arrives at the Scottish residence, and framed it as the start of a significant week for the royal family. Royal Central noted a garden party at Holyroodhouse hosted by the King and Queen alongside Princess Anne, with the week's engagements running to July 3. The full programme of subsequent events was not itemised in the material available.

Background

The Palace of Holyroodhouse, at the foot of Edinburgh's Royal Mile, is the monarch's official residence in Scotland, and the sovereign's annual residence there — traditionally known as Holyrood Week or Royal Week — is a fixture of the royal calendar, typically falling at the turn of June and July. The week concentrates the Crown's Scottish business: investitures, audiences, engagements across the country and a garden party that draws thousands of guests from Scottish public life.

The Ceremony of the Keys enacts an old exchange between city and Crown. The Lord Provost of Edinburgh offers the keys of the city to the monarch, who touches them and entrusts them back to the city's elected officers — a gesture of mutual confidence with roots in the relationship between Scottish burghs and the sovereign. The ceremony is distinct from the nightly ritual of the same name at the Tower of London, and its military escort is customarily drawn from the Royal Regiment of Scotland.

For Charles, who acceded in September 2022, the Scottish week carries added weight given the Crown's attention to the union's constituent nations; the monarch also holds distinct Scottish titles and traditions, from the Honours of Scotland to the Order of the Thistle.

What comes next

Per Royal Central, the week's engagements run to July 3, including the Holyroodhouse garden party hosted by the King and Queen with Princess Anne. The remainder of the programme would emerge through the Royal Family's published diary and Court Circular as engagements are carried out.