Holyrood Palace - Official Role

Official Role

In modern times, monarchs have spent at least one week every year formally holding court in the palace. The present Queen spends one week at Holyrood in summer, during which time investitures are held in the gallery, audiences are held in the morning room, and garden parties are hosted. While she is in residence, the Scottish variant of the Royal Standard of the United Kingdom is flown; at all other times the Royal Standard of Scotland is displayed. During the Queen's visits, the Royal Company of Archers form her ceremonial bodyguard. The Ceremony of the Keys, in which she is formally presented with the keys of Edinburgh by the Lord Provost, is held on her arrival. At the Palace the Queen meets and appoints the First Minister of Scotland. Prince Charles also stays at Holyrood for one week a year, carrying out official duties as the Duke of Rothesay, while other members of the royal family, including Princess Anne, visit in a less official capacity.

In its role as the official residence of the monarch in Scotland, Holyroodhouse has hosted a number of foreign visitors and dignitaries, including Harald V of Norway in 1994, Margrethe II of Denmark, François Mitterrand, Helmut Kohl, Nelson Mandela, Vladimir Putin in 2003, and Pope Benedict XVI in 2010. A meeting of the European Council was held at the palace during the British presidency of the council in 1992.

Architectural historian Dan Cruickshank selected the Palace as one of his eight choices for the 2002 BBC book The Story of Britain's Best Buildings.