Former Olympic rower Dame Katherine Grainger carried a specially crafted ceremonial sword in tribute to Queen Elizabeth II as it was presented to King Charles III at a dedication ceremony in Scotland on Wednesday to mark his coronation.
Dame Katherine held the Elizabeth Sword, which weighs around 7.5kg, at the service at St Giles' Cathedral in Edinburgh, where the king and queen were presented with the Honours of Scotland.
The ceremony of the presentation of the collection of royal items – which include a crown, a sceptre and the sword, made of gold, silver and gems – reflects the British royal family's lasting ties to Scotland.
The Elizabeth Sword has replaced Scotland's current Sword of State, which can no longer be used due to its fragile condition. The new sword is more than twice as heavy as the one Penny Mordaunt carried for the formal coronation in Westminster Abbey in May. It weighed 3.6kg.
But the run-up to the ceremony was marked by protests, with people lining the procession route along the Royal Mile holding posters and chanting “not my king”.
Police Scotland said on Twitter that two women, aged 20 and 21, were arrested in connection with an alleged breach of the peace after they reportedly attempted to climb over crowd barriers
Commissioned at the end of 2022, the Elizabeth Sword cost £22,000 ($28,000), and is named after the late queen.
Its design takes inspiration from Scotland's national flower, the thistle, and the Scottish landscape.
The royal motto is engraved on one side of the blade, “In my defens God me defend”, with the motto of the Order of the Thistle, “Nemo me impune lacessit”, on the other.
The Stone of Destiny, an important symbol of Scottish identity which has been used to crown British monarchs for centuries, was also moved to the cathedral for the festivities.
The sword was presented to the king alongside the sceptre, which was carried by Lady Dorrian, the Lord Justice Clerk, and the crown, carried by the Duke of Hamilton.
'A good physical challenge'
Speaking before the ceremony, Olympian Dame Katherine said carrying the sword would present a “good physical challenge”.
Ms Mordaunt earned praise for her stamina in performing the role at the coronation in May, revealing she took “a couple of painkillers” to be able to carry the heavy Sword of State.
Dame Katherine, who won medals at five consecutive Olympics – a gold and four silvers – said she was glad of the chance to rehearse as she did not have anything the same size or weight as the sword to practice with elsewhere.
She said: “It was incredibly useful to have the practice, even things like coming through doorways, just making sure that I don't do any damage to the sword or anybody nearby.
“It really is an incredible showpiece, along with the sceptre and the crown for the honours, so it's going to be an incredible ceremony and it's just a massive honour.”
The sword it replaced was gifted to James IV by Pope Julius in 1507.
The new one was designed by Mark Dennis and was worked on by a number of expert Scottish craftspeople.
It features a pommel of Lewisian gneiss, and a scabbard wrought from Perthshire oak.
Following the service, the sword and honours will be returned to the care of Historic Environment Scotland.
Penny Mordaunt at King Charles III's coronation – in pictures
Wednesday's ceremony began with a people's procession from the esplanade of Edinburgh Castle.
Chosen to reflect all walks of life in Scotland, among those represented were NHS Scotland, celebrating its 75th anniversary, the Robert Burns World Federation, College of Master Kilt Tailors, the Scottish Parliament, museums and the Trades Houses of Scotland, from coopers to goldsmiths.
The castle's governor, Major General Alastair Bruce, watched the 100-strong group set off, led by Corporal Cruachan IV, the Shetland pony regimental mascot of The Royal Regiment of Scotland, joined by four mounted elements of the Scots Dragoon Guards, the Pipes and Drums of Robert Gordon's Combined Cadet Force and the 51 Brigade Cadet Military Band.
Royal fans arrived early on Edinburgh's Royal Mile ahead of the ceremony, lining the route of the royal procession to St Giles' Cathedral.
Among those attending were Margaret Jenkins, 62, from East Lothian, who said: “I'm excited to see King Charles, my king, and I know not everyone would agree.”
Anne Connolly, 65, from South Shields, said: “It's a good day out. We're looking forward to seeing the king and Camilla.”
Referring to an area fenced off for protesters outside the cathedral, she said: “They've given the protesters the best spot here, the best view. It isn't fair.”
Groom and Two Brides
Director: Elie Semaan
Starring: Abdullah Boushehri, Laila Abdallah, Lulwa Almulla
Rating: 3/5
COMPANY%20PROFILE
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ECompany%20name%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Sav%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EStarted%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%202021%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFounder%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Purvi%20Munot%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EBased%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Dubai%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EIndustry%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20FinTech%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFunding%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20%24750%2C000%20as%20of%20March%202023%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EInvestors%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Angel%20investors%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Dhadak 2
Director: Shazia Iqbal
Starring: Siddhant Chaturvedi, Triptii Dimri
Rating: 1/5
White hydrogen: Naturally occurring hydrogen
Chromite: Hard, metallic mineral containing iron oxide and chromium oxide
Ultramafic rocks: Dark-coloured rocks rich in magnesium or iron with very low silica content
Ophiolite: A section of the earth’s crust, which is oceanic in nature that has since been uplifted and exposed on land
Olivine: A commonly occurring magnesium iron silicate mineral that derives its name for its olive-green yellow-green colour
Timeline
2012-2015
The company offers payments/bribes to win key contracts in the Middle East
May 2017
The UK SFO officially opens investigation into Petrofac’s use of agents, corruption, and potential bribery to secure contracts
September 2021
Petrofac pleads guilty to seven counts of failing to prevent bribery under the UK Bribery Act
October 2021
Court fines Petrofac £77 million for bribery. Former executive receives a two-year suspended sentence
December 2024
Petrofac enters into comprehensive restructuring to strengthen the financial position of the group
May 2025
The High Court of England and Wales approves the company’s restructuring plan
July 2025
The Court of Appeal issues a judgment challenging parts of the restructuring plan
August 2025
Petrofac issues a business update to execute the restructuring and confirms it will appeal the Court of Appeal decision
October 2025
Petrofac loses a major TenneT offshore wind contract worth €13 billion. Holding company files for administration in the UK. Petrofac delisted from the London Stock Exchange
November 2025
180 Petrofac employees laid off in the UAE
The Gentlemen
Director: Guy Ritchie
Stars: Colin Farrell, Hugh Grant
Three out of five stars
Emergency
Director: Kangana Ranaut
Stars: Kangana Ranaut, Anupam Kher, Shreyas Talpade, Milind Soman, Mahima Chaudhry
Rating: 2/5
More from Rashmee Roshan Lall
Wicked: For Good
Director: Jon M Chu
Starring: Ariana Grande, Cynthia Erivo, Jonathan Bailey, Jeff Goldblum, Michelle Yeoh, Ethan Slater
Rating: 4/5
More on Quran memorisation:
Mica
Director: Ismael Ferroukhi
Stars: Zakaria Inan, Sabrina Ouazani
3 stars
The specs: 2017 Dodge Viper SRT
Price, base / as tested Dh460,000
Engine 8.4L V10
Transmission Six-speed manual
Power 645hp @ 6,200rpm
Torque 813Nm @ 5,000rpm
Fuel economy, combined 16.8L / 100km
Specs
Engine: Dual-motor all-wheel-drive electric
Range: Up to 610km
Power: 905hp
Torque: 985Nm
Price: From Dh439,000
Available: Now
The years Ramadan fell in May
The years Ramadan fell in May
The specs: 2018 Volkswagen Teramont
Price, base / as tested Dh137,000 / Dh189,950
Engine 3.6-litre V6
Gearbox Eight-speed automatic
Power 280hp @ 6,200rpm
Torque 360Nm @ 2,750rpm
Fuel economy, combined 11.7L / 100km
More from Rashmee Roshan Lall
Voy!%20Voy!%20Voy!
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EDirector%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Omar%20Hilal%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EStars%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Muhammad%20Farrag%2C%20Bayoumi%20Fouad%2C%20Nelly%20Karim%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ERating%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%204%2F5%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Where can I submit a sample?
Volunteers can now submit DNA samples at a number of centres across Abu Dhabi. The programme is open to all ages.
Collection centres in Abu Dhabi include:
- Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre (ADNEC)
- Biogenix Labs in Masdar City
- Al Towayya in Al Ain
- NMC Royal Hospital in Khalifa City
- Bareen International Hospital
- NMC Specialty Hospital, Al Ain
- NMC Royal Medical Centre - Abu Dhabi
- NMC Royal Women’s Hospital.
Tamkeen's offering
- Option 1: 70% in year 1, 50% in year 2, 30% in year 3
- Option 2: 50% across three years
- Option 3: 30% across five years
World record transfers
1. Kylian Mbappe - to Real Madrid in 2017/18 - €180 million (Dh770.4m - if a deal goes through)
2. Paul Pogba - to Manchester United in 2016/17 - €105m
3. Gareth Bale - to Real Madrid in 2013/14 - €101m
4. Cristiano Ronaldo - to Real Madrid in 2009/10 - €94m
5. Gonzalo Higuain - to Juventus in 2016/17 - €90m
6. Neymar - to Barcelona in 2013/14 - €88.2m
7. Romelu Lukaku - to Manchester United in 2017/18 - €84.7m
8. Luis Suarez - to Barcelona in 2014/15 - €81.72m
9. Angel di Maria - to Manchester United in 2014/15 - €75m
10. James Rodriguez - to Real Madrid in 2014/15 - €75m
The Vile
Starring: Bdoor Mohammad, Jasem Alkharraz, Iman Tarik, Sarah Taibah
Director: Majid Al Ansari
Rating: 4/5
Various Artists
Habibi Funk: An Eclectic Selection Of Music From The Arab World (Habibi Funk)
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
What are the GCSE grade equivalents?
- Grade 9 = above an A*
- Grade 8 = between grades A* and A
- Grade 7 = grade A
- Grade 6 = just above a grade B
- Grade 5 = between grades B and C
- Grade 4 = grade C
- Grade 3 = between grades D and E
- Grade 2 = between grades E and F
- Grade 1 = between grades F and G
