Ceremony of keys to take place to mark King visiting for Royal Week

On Tuesday the King and Queen will carry out a series of engagements in Edinburgh as Royal Week gets under way in Scotland.

The Lord Provost Robert Aldridge will present the keys to the City of Edinburgh to the King, who will return them for safe keeping.

The King will then host an investiture ceremony at the Palace with those receiving honours including forensic scientist Lorna Dawson, who was awarded a damehood in the New Year Honours, and New Seekers singer Eve Graham, who becomes an MBE for services to the music industry.

Simon Milne, regius keeper of the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh, receives a knighthood for services to botany, conservation and horticulture.

Later that day the King and Queen, accompanied by The Duke of Edinburgh and The Princess Royal, will host a garden party at the Palace.

On Wednesday the King and Queen, The Duke of Rothesay and The Duke of Edinburgh will attend the Thistle Service at St Giles Cathedral.

The Order of the Thistle is the greatest order of chivalry in Scotland, recognising 16 knights with the highest honour in the country, as well as Scottish men and women who have held public office or who have contributed in a particular way to national life.

On Thursday the King will undertake engagements in Jedburgh which will coincide with the Jethart Callant Festival, where he will view a procession of horses riding past the town square and will have an opportunity to join a traditional game of “hand ba’”, a historic street sport played annually in Jedburgh since 1704.

On Friday the Duke of Edinburgh will host a Gold Award celebration in the gardens of the Palace.

The monarch traditionally spends a week based at the Palace of Holyroodhouse each year in what is known as Holyrood Week or Royal Week in Scotland.