Queen Camilla was a royal vision on Saturday when she stepped out alongside the King to open the Scottish Parliament in Edinburgh. 

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For the occasion, Her Majesty, 78, honoured the traditional dress of the country, wearing a vibrant red kilt and khaki green jacket. Camilla finished her look with a fabulous hat in the same verdant hue as her slick jacket.

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Meanwhile, the King looked impeccably smart, also clad in a tartan kilt as the royal pair arrived.

The proceedings began with the Crown of Scotland being escorted down the Royal Mile from Edinburgh Castle, before being taken into Parliament alongside the Elizabeth Sword through a guard of honour made up of young people.

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Following the arrival of Charles and Camilla in the debating chamber, a ceremony kicked off with fanfare performed by the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland brass ensemble.

The mace, crown, and sword were then carried into the chamber in a procession featuring three Team Scotland athletes preparing to compete in the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow this summer.

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The Officers of Arms were joined by young people from a range of organisations, including the Scottish Youth Parliament, RNIB Scotland, and the Young Women’s Movement.

The Crown of Scotland will be carried in by the Duke of Hamilton and Brandon, escorted by the Lord Lyon King of Arms.

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After Presiding Officer Kenneth Gibson gave his opening remarks, Charles addressed the chamber to formally open the parliamentary session.

First Minister John Swinney will respond to the King’s address.

The Parliament’s piper, MSP Stuart McMillan, will bring the event to a close with a performance in the members’ garden of Bonnie Dundee and a Hundred Pipers.

Following the ceremony, the King and Queen will meet local heroes nominated by MSPs for their “extraordinary contribution” to local communities.

Special performances for the King and Queen

There will be a series of special performances for the King and Queen which will include the National Youth Choir of Scotland’s Edinburgh regional choir and BSL youth choir will perform Sarah Quartel’s The Beat Of A Different Drum.

Meanwhile, the King and Queen will also watch a performance from the National Theatre of Scotland, which is marking its 20th anniversary. They will present As Others See Us, written and directed by Martin O’Connor.

This will incorporate a poem to celebrate the theatre’s 20th anniversary, and an excerpt from its production Through The Shortbread Tin performed by members of The Lyceum Youth Theatre.

There will also be poetry performances, with Scotland’s Makar Pàdraig MacAoidh delivering a poem in Gaelic called Let This Hall Be Full Of Noises.

Harpist Rachel Groves and vocalist Ellie Beaton, who are the current and previous winners of the BBC Radio Scotland Young Traditional Musician of the Year, will perform Robert Burns’s Ae Fond Kiss.