King Charles and Queen Camilla stood in solemn reflection at a new memorial stone dedicated to the memory of Queen Elizabeth II, marking a poignant moment in their royal duties. The King, visibly moved, participated in a special service at St. Giles’ Cathedral in Edinburgh to unveil the memorial, which will serve as a lasting tribute to his late mother.
The memorial stone is set into the floor of the cathedral, near the spot where Queen Elizabeth II’s coffin had lain just before it departed her Scottish realm for the final time. This simple yet powerful tribute is centered around her cipher, EIIR, flanked by her dates of birth and death, 1926-2022. Beneath the cipher, a brief inscription reads, “lay here 12-13 September 2022,” commemorating the two days when her coffin rested at St. Giles’ and thousands of mourners filed past to pay their respects.
This dedication ceremony was particularly emotional for King Charles, who had first stood as part of a royal guard of honour beside his mother’s coffin in St. Giles in 2022, one of his earliest duties as monarch. His return to the cathedral in 2023, where he was presented with the Honours of Scotland, marked another significant moment in his reign. However, the unveiling of this new memorial stone represented a deeply personal moment of remembrance for the King and his family.
The Revered Dr. Scott Rennie, Minister of St. Giles, expressed his gratitude, saying, “It has been a great honour and privilege to welcome Their Majesties King Charles and Queen Camilla back to St Giles’ for such a special event as we commemorate the late Queen Elizabeth, who visited the cathedral many times, with the Dedication of the Memorial Stone.”
This event marked the beginning of Royal Week in Scotland for the King and Queen Camilla, who have also hosted a garden party at Holyroodhouse as part of their continued engagement with the Scottish public. The dedication of the memorial stone, a symbol of Queen Elizabeth II’s enduring legacy, serves as a reminder of her profound connection to Scotland and the royal family’s commitment to honoring her memory.
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