St Giles’ welcomes King and Queen for dedication of memorial stone to Queen Elizabeth

St Giles' Cathedral in Edinburgh has welcomed the King and Queen for a private dedication of a memorial stone to Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth, which was carried out today (Wednesday 2 July) by Rev Dr Scott Rennie.

The stone commemorates the Service of Thanksgiving and Vigil for the life of the late Queen which took place on the site on 12 and 13 September 2022.

It is located on the floor near the Holy Table where HM The Queen's coffin lay and is formed of a simple black slate engraved with the Scottish Crown and ER cypher together with the dates when the coffin was at rest in the cathedral.

No other sovereign has had such a Service of Thanksgiving in Scotland, with the breadth of Scottish society in attendance.

Following the service, a vigil was held and, over the following 23 hours, more than 33,000 people queued to pay their respects.

During the vigil, the late Queen's children, including HM the King, held their own vigil for their mother.

While her coffin was present in the cathedral the Royal Company of Archers, the Sovereign's Bodyguard in Scotland, mounted guard.

The Scottish Royal Chaplains in Scotland were also on duty throughout.

The engraving on the stone was carried out by Roxanne Kindersley from the renowned Cardozo Kindersley Workshop in Cambridge

Rev Dr Scott Rennie, minister of St Giles', said:

"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.

"His Majesty also has strong links to St Giles', including taking part in the Service of Thanksgiving and Dedication here following his coronation in 2023.

"It is fitting that St Giles', which has been at the heart of Scottish civic and religious life for more than 900 years, was able to host the 33,000 people who came to pay their final respects to Queen Elizabeth.

"St Giles' was probably founded by David I in around 1124 so there has been a strong royal connection since the beginning.

"In spite of our long history, St Giles' remains a vibrant congregation continuing to serve the people of Edinburgh and beyond including through our Neighbourhood Group."

The event was attended by the senior office bearers and members of the Kirk Session who had made the decision to commemorate the momentous event.

Having celebrated its 900th Anniversary in 2024, St Giles' has been at the centre of many notable events in Scotland's history.

Widely referred to as the birthplace of Scottish Presbyterianism, it is where John Knox famously preached and where, on St Andrew's Day in 1996, the Stone of Destiny was received on its return to Scotland.

More recently it is where, on 5 July 2023, a Service of Dedication and Thanksgiving for their Royal Majesties the King and Queen was held on the occasion of the Presentation of the Royal Honours of Scotland.

St Giles' is also the site of the Thistle Chapel, designed by Sir Robert Lorimer and completed in 1911, which is the Chapel for the Most Ancient and Most Noble Order of the Thistle, Scotland's great order of chivalry.

The Order is traditionally awarded to Scots or people of Scottish ancestry, who have given distinguished service to Scotland and Scottish life. The order consists of the sovereign and sixteen knights and ladies, and at times additional members (currently four royal knights and ladies).