King Charles unveils surprise new memorial to Queen Elizabeth II

King Charles and Queen Camilla have unveiled a new memorial today in tribute to Queen Elizabeth II. Their Majesties stepped out in Edinburgh together for the unveiling of the stone, which is a simple black slate in the floor of St Giles' Cathedral, Edinburgh.

The stone is engraved with the Scottish Crown and ER cypher. It also features the dates when Her late Majesty's coffin was at rest in the cathedral after her death at Balmoral Castle in Scotland on September 8, 2022.

Before being taken back to London, the late Queen Elizabeth's body lay at rest in the Edinburgh cathedral for around 24 hours from September 12 until September 13, 2022.

Mourners queued to see her coffin and bid the monarch her final farewell from Scotland.

King Charles, 76, and Queen Camilla, 77, were the only royals present at the very short ceremony today, which has taken place on the second day of their "Royal Week".

The Royal Week is an annual tradition that sees Their Majesties spend a series of days in Scotland, in which they carry out various engagements around the country.

The week began yesterday with the historic Ceremony of The Keys at the Palace of Holyroodhouse, which sees the King formally welcomed to Edinburgh.

The monarch then held an investiture ceremony at the Palace before stepping out again on Tuesday afternoon for a garden party, in which over 8,000 guests were welcomed to the royal residence's grounds.

Today, the couple have had another busy day in Scotland, with both Their Majesties unveiling a Commemorative Cairn together to mark the centenary of the Kirkcaldy War Memorial.

They have also carried out a series of solo engagements since arriving in Scotland, with Camilla having hosted a reception for the Queen's Nursing Institute Scotland today. This came after her visit to Maggie's in Fife, where Her Majesty joined those in attendance to celebrate the work of volunteers and members of staff at Victoria Hospital.

The King also had a busy day as he held an audience with the First Minister of Scotland John Swinney at the Palace of Holyroodhouse.