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King Charles to receive new sword at Scottish ceremony

WATCH: Designer Mark Dennis on the meanings behind the new Elizabeth Sword

A new sword will be presented to King Charles when he receives Scotland's crown jewels at a ceremony in Edinburgh.

The King will be presented with the Honours of Scotland at a service in St Giles' Cathedral on 5 July.

Named after his late mother, the Elizabeth sword was commissioned because the existing 16th Century sword is too fragile to handle.

The Honours of Scotland are the oldest crown jewels in the UK.

They consist of the crown, sceptre and sword of state.

Traditionally, new British monarchs are presented with them after their coronation and this will take place at the Service of Thanksgiving and Dedication to be held at St Giles next week.

The Stone of Destiny will also be in St Giles' Cathedral for the service after playing a significant part in the Coronation at Westminster Abbey.

Historic Environment Scotland The Honours of Scotland on display at Edinburgh CastleHistoric Environment Scotland
The King will be presented with the Honours of Scotland, the oldest crown jewels in Britain

A people's procession of about 100 community groups will collect The Honours from Edinburgh Castle and take them to the nearby cathedral.

Then during the service, Dame Katherine Grainger DBE will bear the Elizabeth Sword, with the sceptre carried by Lady Dorrian, The Lord Justice Clerk, and the crown will be carried by The Duke of Hamilton.

Dame Katherine said: "It will be an incredible honour to carry the Elizabeth Sword on such a historic day for Scotland.

"I hope I can do the sword, and the occasion, justice. It promises to be a day of enormous celebration for the King and for the country and I feel immensely lucky to be able to play a part."

Kathy Richmond, head of collections, at Historic Environment Scotland (HES), which runs Edinburgh Castle where The Honours are kept, said: "Our team of specialists will support the Elizabeth Sword's ceremonial use and will be aiming to make it available for display shortly after the event.

PA Media Sword maker Paul Macdonald holds the £22,000 Elizabeth SwordPA Media
Sword maker Paul Macdonald holds the £22,000 Elizabeth Sword

"The Honours of Scotland are cared for by HES who are undertaking a project to conserve them over the next few months.

"We hope to use this opportunity to offer a period of display for the Elizabeth Sword so it can be seen together with the historic regalia of the crown and sceptre."

The Elizabeth Sword cost £22,000 to make and was designed by Mark Dennis and worked on by a number of expert Scottish craftspeople.

First Minister Humza Yousaf said: "The Honours of Scotland have immense historical significance, having been present at many major ceremonial events over the past 500 years.

"Designed and crafted with care by some of Scotland's finest artisans, the Elizabeth Sword is a fitting tribute to the late Queen as Scotland prepares to welcome the new King and Queen next week."

You can watch coverage of the event live on BBC One at 13:30 on Wednesday 5 July.

Andrew Milligan Mark Dennis, Alan Beattie, Peter Waugh and Paul MacdonaldAndrew Milligan
Mark Dennis – Designer, Alan Beattie Herriot sculptor (he made the hilt), Pete Waugh – videographer who has documented the whole project, Paul Macdonald – sword maker. The team behind the sword.