King Charles honours 20 years of service with new bronze lion monument

King Charles has unveiled a new bronze lion statue in Edinburgh to commemorate the 20th anniversary of the Royal Regiment of Scotland.

On Wednesday, the monarch, who serves as Colonel-in-Chief of the Royal Regiment of Scotland, paid tribute to the regiment's service and centuries-old military heritage.

The official Instagram handle of the British royal family shared photos from the event, showing King Charles unveiling monument during the ceremony.

In the caption, the palace wrote, "As Colonel-in-Chief, The King unveils a statue at West Princes Street Gardens to mark the 20th anniversary of the Royal Regiment of Scotland."

Quote shared from King Charles' speech read: "It is a moment to reflect on two decades of service, as well as to honour a lineage that stretches unbroken from 1633 from your antecedent regiments - some represented here today - that now form this great Regiment. That continuity is a living testament to duty, resilience, and unwavering commitment."

The newly unveiled monument features a bronze lion in repose guarding the regiment's cap badge. Buckingham palace revealed that the sculpture was created by Edinburgh artist Kenny Hunter and symbolizes the enduring strength of Scotland's military tradition.

"The statue, a bronze lion in repose guarding the regiment’s cap badge, was designed by local Edinburgh sculptor, Kenny Hunter. The lion sits on a plinth of six separate sections, representing the unity of Scotland’s six historic infantry regiments, amalgamated to form the SCOTS in 2006," the caption concluded.