Perth and Kinross has forever engraved its name into royal history.
Those were the lasting thoughts of Lord-Lieutenant for Perth and Kinross Stephen Leckie when he returned home to Crieff having attended the coronation ceremony of King Charles III.
Mr Leckie was seated just a few feet away from the King and Queen Camilla as they entered Westminster Abbey for the historic enthronement on Saturday, May 6.
The chairman and CEO of the Crieff Hydro Family of hotels has met the new King on a number of occasions but this moment was extra special with the Stone of Destiny helping bring in a new era in crowning its 27th Monarch in just over 700 years.
The artefact was placed under the Coronation Chair as King Charles III was crowned at midday, and is a connection that will link the region and the royal family forever.
“For this county it is very special,” he said.
“The Stone of Scone has had a large part to play in the coronation and the significance of that is that it allows Charles to be the King of Scotland as well as England and Britain.
“That is a large part of Perth and Kinross now and part of the history, culture and heritage of our nation.
“So we look forward to that being placed in Perth Museum, where a special room has been set up for its display, which will be opening up sometime in spring next year.
“It builds up that excitement for it.”
The gates opened at Westminster Abbey at 7.30am on Saturday morning, but Mr Leckie arrived extra early, dressed in his morning suit with tails and Oxford bold shoes, to get the best seat and soak in the atmosphere.
Leckie said: “I was in the queue by Lambeth Bridge by quarter to seven in the morning.
“I was there for the Queen’s funeral at the equivalent time but folk were there much earlier this time.
“It was one last chance to soak up the atmosphere and the feeling for the day ahead.
“I stood in the queue with Douglas Ross (Scottish Conservative Party leader) actually.
“They closed the streets because it was so busy.
“My trip to Lambeth Bridge was unfettered but where the royal procession was going to pass through it was jam packed full, as was London for the entire weekend.
“Every security person we came across, and there were thousands of them, were just incredibly courteous and polite.
“The organisation and the planning ahead of these hundreds of cars and hundreds of motorbikes coming in was quite astonishing.
“We got into the actual Abbey by the start of 8 o’clock so it was quite a long wait until the start of the ceremony - maybe around three hours.”
When waiting in anticipation, he added: “There was a constant flow of people getting themselves ready for the big arrival.
“As the heads of state came in, that was fascinating.
“And then the royal family came in and it was all very processional and formal.
“But the day flashes by because you are just soaking up the occasion and the atmosphere.
“When the King and Queen consort walked in they must have been within a few feet of where I was sitting!
“And then the procession started with fanfare trumpets and organ it was all so very impressive.
“The Abbey itself is huge with 2500 people in one church.
“There was a 50-page programme explaining exactly what everyone does during the ceremony, what the King does, what the Queen does, what that Archbishop of Canterbury does, where the audience are expected to join in.
“It was really special to be part of all of that.
“I was there early so I had a seat close to the front on the second row.
“The three or four hours we were waiting in the Abbey flashed by.
“You could then hear the crowds cheering when they walked out and every camera in the world would have been on them.”
He added: “This occasion was about excitement and about celebration.
“Folk used the words pomp and ceremony and it was exactly that.
“There is a deep tradition with what goes on and the realisation of what an immense privilege and honour it is to be involved and to be there, to represent the county of Perth and Kinross and to consider the Stone of Scone as part of it.
“It gives us the chance to reflect on that.
“One guy at one of the hotels had flown across for the coronation from Australia
“The cost just to be at the coronation for him would have been thousands of pounds.
“He was in his late 70s and how impressive is that to make such a monumental effort to be there?”
“It is incredible.
“Two women stayed up all night waiting just to get the right place so they could see the carriage and the procession and they got very close.
“There is a real feeling of happiness and comfort that this has happened that they have been part of it and now we have our new King and Queen.”
“We are left stunned by the fact we are so privileged and honoured to have been invited to be there and to represent our wonderful county.
“Having returned back to Crieff, some say Scotland is celebrating it less but in Perth and Kinross there were a lot of parties, street parties and private parties.
“In Comrie they had hundreds out in the street for it - way more that they expected. “How nice is that? To see so many recognise and celebrate the coronation.”
Pick up a copy of Friday’s edition of the PA for pictures of coronation celebrations from across the region.
