A Royal Visit to Edinburgh in 1995 [written by Andrew Murphy]

A Royal Visit to Edinburgh written by Andrew Murphy in 1995

Index

Click the link below for the page index

Arts and Exhibitions Cavalcades and Galas Charity Events

Christmas and Hogmanay City Life The Film Festival The Fringe

Politics National Youth Orchestra of Scotland Royal Visits City Views

Festivals of Sea Music and Musicians Life in the City Picture Galleries

Written works Video Spoken Files Slide Shows Back to Front page

______________________________________________________________________

All copying in part or whole of 'A Royal State Visit' is strictly forbidden, as is printing or using any parts for any other kind of use ©

A Royal Visit to Edinburgh written by Andrew Murphy

Edinburgh the Capital city of Scotland is steeped in a traceable history which dates back for more than a thousand years.

Throughout its history Edinburgh has been a place where Kings and Queens have gathered. They have played an important role over the centuries in the development and growth of Scotland’s capital city.

They have held residency in Edinburgh Castle and the Palace of Holyroodhouse. Both have change very little throughout the centuries.

The streets and closes of the Old Town still stands tall for the world to see. Streets and closes that have been witness to the changing times.

Witness to a time when horses hooves and carriages clattered over its cobbled streets. A time when Knights on horseback escorted their Kings and Queens through the narrow streets of Edinburgh.

Edinburgh, Scotland's capital city is still used as a major venue for Kings and Queens and other Heads of State.

Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth ll and his Royal Highness the Duke of Edinburgh arrived in Edinburgh for their Scottish visit on the 3 of July 1995.

At the Place of Holyroodhouse the Ceremony of the Keys was held. The Queen was met by the Lord Provost the Rt Hon Norman Irons who is also the Lord Lieutenant of the city of Edinburgh.

On her arrival the Queen inspected the guard of honour and received the keys to the city of Edinburgh from the Lord Provost. He was accompanied by his wife Anne.

The Queen with the Duke of Edinburgh and other members of the Royal Household will reside at the Palace of Holyroodhouse during their Royal visit to Scotland which takes place each year in mid-summer.

Once the ceremony of the keys was over, The Queen began a week of Royal visit in Edinburgh and Ayr.

Their first visit in Edinburgh was to the Bank of Scotland’s Headquarters on the Mound. Established on the Seventeenth of July 1695. This year they are celebrating three hundred years of banking.

This outstanding building on the Mound was built in 1806, with a domed roof and a Cyclops window which looks South along George Forth lV Bridge.

top of page When the Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh left the Bank of Scotland's Headquarters on the Mound, they were driven up to Edinburgh Castle for the opening of the Royal Scots Dragoon Guards Museum.

At Edinburgh Castle they were greeted by over a thousand people. The Queen inspected the Guard of Honour before going to the new museum which tells the full history of the Royal Scots Dragoon Guards.

Guests and ex-regiment members stood and watched as the Queen inspected the soldiers who were on parade. Hundreds of local people enjoyed this historical event at Edinburgh Castle, an event that they would cherish for a long time.

The Royal Scots Dragoon Guards were involved in a Ceremony with The Queen on Friday the 30 of September 1994.

A Ceremony which had been delayed by the Gulf War went ahead in Holyrood Park.

top of page Scotland’s only Cavalry Regiment, The Royal Scots Dragoon Guards, The Carabineers and Greys were presented with new colours by their Colonel in Chief Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth ll.

Formed in 1971, The Royal Scots Dragoon Guards, Carabineers and Greys were an amalgamation of two very famous regiments. The third Carabineers, Prince of Wales’s Dragoon Guards, and the Royal Scots Greys, Second Dragoons. The nicknames associated with the Royal Scots Greys were, The Greys, The Bubbly Jocks and the Bird Catchers which is a reference to the Eagle on the Regiments Badge. This is in reference to the capture of a French Eagle at the Battle of Waterloo in 1814. The Royal Scots Dragoon Guards, Carabineers and Greys were the Royal Scots Greys Second Dragoons.

This Regiment can be traced back to 1681 when Lieutenant General Tam Dalyell of the Carabineers combined several independent troops of Scottish Dragoons in to the Royal Regiment of Scots Dragoons. Ranked as the Second Dragoons in 1688.

In 1700, the Regiment decided to use only grey horses, a practice continued up to the present day.

General Tam Dalyell, the founder of the Regiment was a tough old Scottish Cavalier, exiled for his Royalist Persuasions. He went far abroad as a soldier of fortune. He disciplined troops to serve the Czars of Russia and he led in to battle against the Poles, the Tartars and the Turks.

He had also been imprisoned in the Tower of London which he escaped from.

Some of the Battle Honours of the Royal Scots and the Regiment are, Warburg, Waterloo, Savastipol, Marne, The Somme, North West Europe 1944 to 1945, El Alamien and the advance on Tripoli.

In 1707, the Regiment was retitled as the Royal Regiment of North British Dragoons. It was also known as the Scots Regiment of White Horses.

Further changes in the Regiments title followed in 1751 as the Second, or Royal North British Regiment of Dragoons. In 1861, as the Second Royal North British Dragoons, Royal Scots Greys and Scots Greys. And in 1921 as the Royal Scots Greys, Second Dragoons.

The history of this proud Regiment can now be seen in their new museum which was opened by their Colonel in Chief Her Majesty The Queen at Edinburgh Castle.

top of page The Royal Scots Dragoon Guards, Carabineers and Greys, escorted the Queen from the Palace of Holyroodhouse to the Rostrum to present the New Standard. They also escorted the Queen back to the forecourt at the Palace of Holyroodhouse.

When the inspection of the Guard of Honour was over, the Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh with the Lord Provost were given a guided tour of the Royal Scots Dragoon Guards new museum.

When the visit was over, the Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh were driven to another engagement.

Later on in the evening, the Queen opened a new hospitality stand at Musselburgh Racecourse.

Edinburgh Castle sits high on an extinct volcanic core overlooking the city of Edinburgh. There has been a fortress here for over a thousand years. Edinburgh Castle is known all over the world for its annual events. The Military Tattoo. It is also known for its history, museums and the Scottish National War Memorial.

When the Queen arrived in Edinburgh, a twenty one gun salute was fired from Edinburgh Castle. A Twenty One Gun Salute is also fire on the Queens Birthday and Royal State Visits.

Edinburgh Castle which is steeped in history, is now a protected building. Inside, it still has a story to tell, and the Scottish Crown Jewels are kept in Edinburgh Castle for all to see.

Canongate Kirk which is on the Royal Mile was built in 1688 to accommodate the congregation of the Canongate when King James Vll threw them out of Holyrood Abbey.

This was so that he could convert the Abbey church in to a Roman Catholic Chapel for the Knights of the Thistle. The Ceremony for the Knights of the Thistle is now held at the Thistle Chapel at St Giles Cathedral. This Chapel was built between 1909 and 1911.

The Canongate Graveyard contains many famous figures, including Adam Smith the Economist, The Poet Robert Ferguson, Clarinda, a friend of Robert Burns, the Philosopher Dugald Stewart, George Drumond who was largely responsible for the development of Edinburgh’s New Town, and it is said that the graveyard may even contain the body of David Rizzo. Mary Queen of Scots ill fated secretary.

On the Apex of the Canongate Kirk there is a rood and Stags Antlers. It is said to represent the Rood and Antlers of Holyrood Abbey.

When King David the First -1124 to 1153 - was attacked by an enraged stag, it is said that a rood which is a cross appeared.

The original rood which was on Holyrood Abbey belonged to King David’s mother St Margaret. It was also believed to have come from the cross of Christ.

top of page Probably for the first time in the history of the Chapel Royals in Britain, which in England dates back almost to the dawn of Christianity. The Chaplins to the Queen in Scotland and England meet to worship together in the gracious presence of Her Majesty the Queen.

In origin and still today, the Chapel Royal is not a building but an establishment of Ministers in Scotland, and of Priests and Singers in England. Serving God and the Queen, and representing in visible form, the recognition of the church by the Crown.

In England, services are held in the Chapel Royal, St James’s Palace from the first Sunday of October until the following Good Friday. And in the Queens Chapel at St James’s from Easter Day until the last Sunday in July.

In England, the Dean of Her Majesty’s Chapel Royal - currently the Bishop of London - has in his charge, the Chapels at St James’s Palace, Hampton Court and Her Majesty’s Tower of London. The later two have each a resident Chaplin and full choral services. The Dean of the Chapels Royal is assisted by a resident Sub-Dean and three Priests in ordinary to conduct the services.

The Thirty Six Chaplins to the Queen under the Clerk of the Closet - currently the Bishop of Chelmsford - supply preachers during the year.

In Scotland there are Ten Chaplins in ordinary of whom the Dean of the Chapel Royal in Scotland is one - currently the minister of Glasgow Cathedral.

There is a domestic Chaplin at Balmoral - the minister of Crathie and Braemar. In Scotland, there is a private Royal Chapel in Windsor Great Park with a resident Chaplin - and private Chapels in Windsor Castle and Buckingham Palace is served by Domestic Chaplins.

On retirement, Chaplins in ordinary in Scotland may be appointed by the Queen to be extra Chaplins, and other ministers may be so appointed without having been Chaplins in ordinary.

There has not been a building in regular use as a Chapel Royal in Scotland for many years. The latest surviving building in Stirling Castle is being restored by Historic Scotland.

Outside the Canongate Kirk, tourists and local people had gathered to welcome the Queen as her car was driven up from the Palace of Holyroodhouse.

The Queen, on arriving at Canongate Kirk was received by the Minister of the Church - the Rt Rev Charles Robertson, who presented the Dean of the Chapel Royal in Scotland and the Clerk of the Closet.

Following the Queen in to the Canongate Kirk were the Members of the Royal Household. The Royal Household were followed by the Chaplins to the Queen.

The Canongate congregation were already in the church awaiting the arrival of the Queen. The Dean and the Minister with the Clerk conducted the Queen to her seat while the Choir of St Giles Cathedral sang an Introit. The Dean then welcomed her Majesty the Queen and Her Majesty’s Chaplins.

Inside the Canongate Kirk, the decor is tasteful in colour - painted with a light blue and white.

Standards are displayed near the ceiling, and the Royal Pew has a Crown indicating where the Queen sits. The Castle Pew on the other side of the Church has a lion indicating its position

The Royal Coat of Arms can be located on a clock at the back of the church and next to the pulpit where the minister will conduct the service and read the prayer.

Fresh flowers are displayed next to the pulpit, blending in to add too a colourful display.

top of page When the Queen came out from the Church with the minister, she was met by members of the public who had gathered outside.

Some had waited for hours bearing gifts of flowers and photographs. Some of the Queens loyal supporters followed her throughout her Scottish visit, coming from all parts of the country.

When the Queen reached her car, the minister of the church saw her off, where she driven back to the Palace of Holyroodhouse.

With the service in the Canongate Kirk over, the Chaplin Royals came out of the church and dispersed.

The people who had gathered outside started to drift away with their memories and photographs.

Thursday the Sixth of July 1995 started off as a wet and windy day. This did not dampen the publics enthusiasm as they started to arrive outside the New Sheriff Courthouse in Chambers Street.

top of page The Public started to gather early so that they could welcome the Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh to the New Courthouse which opened its doors in September 1994.

The Lord Provost who was presented a CBE in the New Years Honours list arrived at the New Sheriff Courthouse with his wife.

They were met by members of the Judiciary as they prepared for the Queen’s arrival and the official opening of the New Sheriff Courthouse.

The Lord Provost, The Right Honourable Norman Irons came over and chatted with members of the public who were keen to find out about his term in office, what type of tartan he was wearing and his chain of office.

Hundreds of people had now gathered on both sides of the street. It had stopped raining and the winds had died down.

When the Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh arrived at the New Sheriff Courthouse, they were greeted by the Lord Provost and his wife.

The Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh were welcomed by members of the judiciary before being taken in and shown around the new building which is one of the most advanced of its time.

Work on the New Courthouse in Chambers Street began in 1989 at a cost of forty seven million pounds, and it was completed in 1994.

While the Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh were being shown around the New Courthouse, the cars bearing the Royal Standards were parked outside in readiness for their departure.

Some of the people nearest the barriers had brought flowers to present to the Queen, while some who had been to Ayr the day before to see the Queen had brought photographs of the Queen Mother and of the Queen’s visit to Musselburgh Racecourse on Monday the 3 of July 1995.

Students keen to see the Queen used the windows of the Dental Hospital which is next to the Sheriff Court for one of the best vantage points.

top of page When the visit to the New Sheriff Courthouse in Chambers Street was over, the Queen was presented with flowers and photographs before getting in to her car. The crowd gave three cheers for Her Majesty before she left.

The Duke of Edinburgh who was going on to another engagement at Murrayfield was amused by the sounds coming from a slipping fanbelt on his car.

The New Sheriff Courthouse in Chambers Street was built to replace the building in the Lawnmarket which was built in 1937. It was becoming overcrowded in Chambers Street.

The new Sheriff Courthouse in Chambers Street will take Edinburgh well in to the next millennium, ensuring Edinburgh’s judiciary has a place to work and see that justice is served in the interests of all

The Old Sheriff Courthouse in the Lawnmarket is now being converted in to a High Court.

At the Palace of Holyroodhouse, the Royal Company of Archers were preparing themselves for the Garden Party on Thursday the 6 of July 1995.

top of page The Royal Company of Archers can be traced back to 1676, and there is reason to believe that the period of its organisation extends further than the dates of its records.

One of the first public engagements of the Queen in Scotland, was the inspection of the Queens bodyguard in the Garden at the Palace of Holyroodhouse The Royal Company of Archers are the Sovereigns Bodyguard for Scotland.

The Royal Company of Archers attend a verity of Royal Duties such as the Annual Garden Party and the Ancient Order of the Thistle Ceremony at St Giles Cathedral along with other duties.

As Her Majesty the Queen’s Bodyguard, they also attend Royal State Visits. The Royal Company of Archers were in attendance in 1962 when his Majesty Kin Olav of Norway came to Edinburgh. And again in 1975 when his Majesty King Carl Gustav of Sweden came to Edinburgh.

The Royal Company of Archers were also in attendance when their Majesty’s King Harold and Queen Sonja of Norway were in Edinburgh on a Royal State Visit in 1994.

The principal duties assigned to the Royal Company of Archers is to take part in the welcoming arrangements to the Palace of Holyroodhouse for Heads of State form other countries.

The usual colour party of two officers and an escort of three archers are posted in the Hallway or the or the foot of the Great Staircase in the Palace of Holyroodhouse.

On other occasions, they have been posted in the forecourt, and have lined the Great Staircase.

When a Knight is being ordained at the Thistle Chapel in St Giles Cathedral, the Royal Company of Archers Parade in West Parliament Square.

The Queen sometimes uses the Scottish State Coach for this Ceremony, The Household Cavalry Provides a Sovereigns Escort for the Queen as she travels from the Palace of Holyroodhouse to St Giles Cathedral.

The Queen, as Sovereign, is head of the Ancient Order of the Thistle. As this is not an Hereditary Honour, when a Knight dies, the Queen appoints a new Knight to take his place. New Knights are normally installed by the Queen at a service in the summer.

In 1994, Fitzroy McClean was ordained as a Knight in to the Ancient Order of the Thistle.

When the ceremony was over, the Household Cavalry escorted the Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh back to the Palace of Holyroodhouse. The Royal Company of Archers marched off Parliament Square and up Royal Mile to Edinburgh Castle.

The Royal Company of Archers can also be seen attending other duties throughout the year.

top of page The Palace of Holyroodhouse sits under the shadow of an extinct volcano, Arthur's Seat.

The Palace of Holyroodhouse is one of the most ancient residences occupied by our Royal Family and it is used quite often throughout the year.

The Palace of Holyroodhouse has its origins in the monastery guest house which stood to the West of the Abbey Church. Here visitors - Kings of Scotland included - would stay in peaceful surroundings in the shadow of the hills. Now and again, events of major importance would take place and bring visitors of standing to the guest house.

King David ll was the first King to be buried at the Abbey. It was with King James ll Holyrood received its Royal Seal of approval. He was born, crowned and buried there.

The first mention of a Royal chamber comes in 1437, and in 1501, James lV began the construction of an exclusive Royal Residence. Holyrood Palace was built over the centuries.

Queen Victoria developed a great love for Scotland and began a long tradition of Royal Visits to the Palace of Holyroodhouse. This led to its refurbishment and turned it in to a comfortable Royal Residence for Queen Victoria who used it as a stopping off place on her way to Balmoral.

top of page During her annual visit to Edinburgh, the Queen holds a Garden Party with invited guests. The Royal Standard fly's high on the Palace of Holyroodhouse letting the citizens of Edinburgh know that the Queen is in Residence.

Cars are parked on the grass in Holyrood Park as the guests make their way in to the gardens of the Palace of Holyroodhouse for the Garden Party.

When the Queen emerges from the Palace of Holyroodhouse with other members of the Royal Family and the Royal Household, the National Anthem is played for the Queen.

Once the National Anthem is played, the Queen and the Royal party continue down the steps from the Palace of Holyroodhouse in to the Gardens.

In December 1992, the Palace of Holyroodhouse was used as the venue for the European Summit. All the European Heads of State gathered here while they debated and thrashed a deal on the Maastrict Treaty.

The Palace of Holyroodhouse is an important part of Edinburgh’s past and it will play a very important role in its future.

When the Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh were in residence at the Palace of Holyroodhouse, a Scottish Regiment were given the honour of doing the guard duties. This year, the Kings Own Scottish Borderers were given the honour of playing the music at the Garden Party. They were also at the Ceremony of the Keys when the Queen arrived at the Palace of Holyroodhouse on the 3 of July 1995.

During their stay at the Palace of Holyroodhouse, the Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh attend a number of functions both inside and outside the Palace of Holyroodhouse.

On Thursday the 4 July 1995, the Queen, the Duke of Edinburgh and Members of the Royal Household attended a private reception in the gatehouse with the city of Edinburgh’s High Constables. The Royal Party walked across the Forecourt at the Place of Holyroodhouse to the Gatehouse.

top of page During their stay at the Palace of Holyroodhouse, the Queen carries out her Royal duties. Last year after presenting the New Colours to the Royal Scots Dragoon Guards - The Carabineers and Greys, the Queen showed her fondness of horses by giving each one a little treat on the forecourt at the Palace of Holyroodhouse.

The Duke of Edinburgh while he was in Edinburgh, presented to young people, the Duke of Edinburgh Awards. While the Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh are in Edinburgh for their annual visit. The Place of Holyroodhouse is busy.

Beside the gatehouse at the Palace of Holyroodhouse the cars and horse drawn coaches are kept. The Scottish State Coach which was used for the Ancient Order of the Thistle is also kept here. The coach has the Royal Arms for Scotland and the Insignia of the Order of the Thistle on the sides. It also carries a model of the Crown of Scotland on its roof.

When the reception was over with the city of Edinburgh’s High Constables in the gatehouse, the Queen, the Duke of Edinburgh and Members of the Royal Household thanked their guests and made their way back across the forecourt to the Palace of Holyroodhouse

Next day on the Fifth of July 1995, they were going through to Ayr for the day for part of their Scottish visit which was due to end on Friday the Seventh of July 1995.

On 7 July 1995, the New Royal College of Nursing’s Scottish Headquarters were being prepared early in the morning for a visit by the Queen.

top of page The Edinburgh branch of the Royal College of Nursing took possession of 44 Heriot Row in 1949, and they have been their since their foundation 33 years earlier.

In November 1994, the Royal College of Nursing moved to the organisations new headquarters in South Oswald Road. The Victorian Villa was originally built for a wealthy textile merchant and a number of the original features of the building have been restored.

The refurbished building includes a new library and meeting rooms and it includes a brass bust of Florence Nightingale.

The excitement could be felt as nurses and carers from the nearby Salvation and Army’s Sunnyside Eventide home put chairs on the street for its resident to have a view of the Queen arriving on the last day of her Scottish Visit.

Further along the road, St Raphels Nursing home residents were making their way along South Oswald Road so that they could get a good position also.

The residents of both homes, some who were blind and in wheelchairs had asked the staff to delay their lunch for this special occasion. They even asked for flags so that they could welcome the Queen in the traditional British style.

Proving without a shadow of doubt that British patriotism was still alive and kicking. These were people who had seen more in their lives than we could even begin to imagine. Some of them had seen the pioneers of flight, the advance of the car, the world of communications arriving, man landing on the moon, and changing world that some of these people had even helped to change.

top of page Other people who lived in the area brought their children, they brought flowers, photographs and some even brought their dogs with them.

There was an air of excitement as the residents of Sunnyside and St Raphels sat in the sun laughing and joking with reporters and other members of the public who had joined them.

The President of the Royal College of Nursing who was welcoming the Queen with the Lord Provost and his wife went around the residents of both homes and talked to them If there was a lesson to be learned on how to keep your spirits high, the residents of Sunnyside and St Raphels could certainly teach us all as the time grew close for the arrival of the Queen.

Nurses and carers explained what was happening to the blind so that they could remember for themselves.

The Queen arrived at the Royal College of Nursing's new Scottish Headquarters, she was greeted with cheers and clapping from the people who had gathered to welcome her.

Her Majesty the Queen was greeted by the Lord Provost, his wife and the President from the Royal College of Nursing before going in to the building.

The residents of St Raphels and Sunnyside were not sure if the Queen would have time to come across the road to talk to them as she was leaving Edinburgh by aeroplane shortly after her visit.

When the Queen left the Royal College of Nursing's new Scottish Headquarters she made time to go around and meet the residents of Sunnyside and St Raphels before she got in her car to go to the airport.

top of page

Written by Andrew Murphy of Edinburgh

Research by Andrew Murphy

'Royal Memories' written by Andrew Murphy 1995

All copying in part or whole of 'A Royal State Visit' is strictly forbidden, as is printing or using any parts for any other kind of use ©

______________________________________________________________________

All material contained on this Internet site is the copyright material of Andrew Murphy of the Royal Mile in Edinburgh. All copying from www.murphysedinburgh.co.uk and www.murphysedinburgh.com in part or in whole is strictly forbidden.

e-mail: murphysedinburgh@btinternet.com

____________________________________________________________