Sailors from HMS Queen Elizabeth have paraded along the cobbled streets of the iconic Royal Mile as they exercised the freedom of the City of Edinburgh.
Accompanied by The Band of His Majesty's Royal Marines Scotland, the 250-strong formation set off outside the Palace of Holyrood, before marching past the Scottish Parliament building to Edinburgh's City Chambers.
The Freedom of the City is a ceremonial parade dating back to medieval times, allowing a trusted regiment to march through the streets with "drums beating, colours flying, and bayonets fixed".
Valued presence
At the City Chambers – the headquarters of Edinburgh council – the guard, led by Lieutenant Commander Julian Caithness, was inspected by the Lord Provost, escorted by HMS Queen Elizabeth's Commanding Officer, Captain Claire Thompson.
The Rt Hon Lord Provost and Lord Lieutenant of the City of Edinburgh, Councillor Robert Aldridge, described the celebration of the soon-to-be flagship as a memorable day for the Scottish capital.
"Her crew's most welcome presence today has firmly closed a 13-year gap since their predecessors, HMS Edinburgh, last paraded here," he said.
"We greatly value our connection with HMS Queen Elizabeth and His Majesty's Armed Forces, with many service units, personnel, families, and veterans based and living in our city."
At the conclusion of his address, the sailors marched onward to St Giles' Cathedral, where they saluted the Lord Provost, their Commanding Officer, and the Naval Regional Commander Scotland and Northern Ireland, Brigadier Andrew Muddiman.
On the path to warfighting readiness
The spectacle on the streets also featured a spectacle in the sky with a flypast from an F-35 Lightning stealth fighter, the same aircraft that graces the deck of the aircraft carrier.
Commanding Officer of HMS Queen Elizabeth, Captain Claire Thompson, said: "This event involves our ship's company marching through the city in our best ceremonial uniforms, which symbolises the strong links we have with Edinburgh, strengthened recently by our docking period in Rosyth.
"We are proud to return now that the ship is well on its way to recovering warfighting readiness and on our generation pathway to very high readiness duties."
The parade is the first in a series of UK and overseas visits for HMS Queen Elizabeth, after assuming the role of Nato Afloat Command Platform.
She will act as a floating headquarters for the alliance's naval forces during military operations, exercises, and international crises.
"Our first period back at sea has been spent conducting sea trials, building skills and experience, and operating with the Nato staff embarked," added Capt Thompson.
"We now look forward to welcoming the aircraft back to our flight deck in the next few weeks for the first time in nearly two years as we continue to develop."
Connection rooted in history
For roughly three decades, HMS Edinburgh was affiliated with the city before being decommissioned in 2013. The Freedom of the City of Edinburgh was then passed to a new anti-submarine frigate bearing the same name, which is currently under construction at BAE Systems in Glasgow.
As the City-class ship will not enter service until after 2030, the honour was instead bestowed upon Queen Elizabeth.
The connection between the Royal Navy and the Scottish capital, however, extends far beyond tradition.
Rosyth Dockyard, located nearby on the Firth of Forth, plays a vital role in supporting Royal Navy vessels, including HMS Queen Elizabeth, which recently underwent a docking period there. The site is also where Babcock International is constructing the Royal Navy's new Type 31 Inspiration-class frigates.
Meanwhile, the nearby ports of Rosyth and Leith have played key roles in connecting Edinburgh to the wider world and to the Senior Service.
Leith, in particular, has been a centre of maritime trade since the 14th century and is now home to the Royal Yacht Britannia, one of the city's major tourist attractions.
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